


The Way I Met You

by mutedweather



Category: Gintama
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chapter Related, Don't Like Don't Read, Drama & Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, I Tried, I can't wait to write it TBH, I don't know how a short 750 word one-shot became this but whatever, I tried ok, I want my Takasugi x Tsukuyo stfu, Judge me I don't care, Love, Next time i'm never writing something with such a huge cast ever again, Romance, Science Fiction, Smoking, Someone pls save me from writing this fic, This shit is so hard, You can expect sex, You may think you have an idea how hard this shit is, and that is two ppl fcking, but i started dying because of the lack of sex, but it is 10000x harder than that, i started writing this fic bc i was thirsty for takatsuki sex, i want to die, it takes forever to get to the scene i want to write, ok, sex later, why
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-07-12 07:49:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15990836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mutedweather/pseuds/mutedweather
Summary: This began as a short vignette roughly about 750 words. I did not plan for it to have a continued story. Wanted to end it in one shot. They meet at a bar, she drinks some alcohol, gets drunk and knocks him out. That was what I wanted. Then idk. I started writing more. I gave it a plot. So now it becomes what it is.AU where Takasugi is a botanist. Tsukuyo was a former police officer and now runs a security tech business. Honestly I wanted her to hold some kind of other job where she can meet Takasugi properly but I don't know how it became like this. Idk. IDK. And I'm so ashamed. I'll be writing some hot and dirty stuff later. Well... maybe it will be some shit horrible sex to some people.I didn't want to add other characters to my Takasugi x Tsukuyo world. I feel really tired sometimes when I think about other characters. But I had to do it. So they started invading the story. It's not my fault. It's them. I'm sorry. It's my fault.





	1. Three Thousand Arnold Schwarzeneggers Before Morning Comes

**Author's Note:**

> Some sort of vignette. Idk, i might continue this and make it multi-chaptered. idk yet.
> 
> edit 3rd jan 2019: I have decided to write multi-chapters for this. The chapter this time is short. Takasugi x Tsukuyo is a super wonderful pairing. Put them in any AU and it works. Tsukuyo is a cream tart. Takasugi is a cinnamon bun. Don't read it if you can't tolerate good taste and humour. Thanks.

It lasted two minutes. Maybe three. He couldn’t tell. Maybe it was just thirty seconds, but it felt like an eternity. He could feel her steady gaze burning into him, and his neck grew hot. But then maybe it was just the whiskey. So he turned to meet her eyes. They’re the shade of purple that seems to reflect overlays of indigos and violets under dim lighting. 

She lifted a finger then, and pointed to her own eye. “What happened?”

He gave a low chuckle, turned back towards the bar, and paused. He had half an urge to reach out and touch it, that one eye, forever closed to the sunlight. On some days he would put a patch or bandage around it, believing it would dissuade people from feeling sorry for a guy with a permanently damaged eye. With the patch, or bandage, most people would assume the wound was healing. Tonight though, he didn't bother going through that farce. One hand holding his drink, he gently tilted his wrist back and forth, and watched as the liquid swirled around. He savoured its aroma, as the single ball of ice knocked gently against the glass. “An... accident,” he said softly, without looking up.

“Ah, is that so...”

She took a slow drag from a long, slender cigarrette holder, blowing billowy, curly clouds into the air. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked that question, but she was curious about him. The soft music playing in the background did very little to relax her. The bottle of beer served in front of her was untouched. It was now her turn to feel his gaze on her, as if he was willing her to turn around to face him. She glanced over.

Slightly awkwardly, but steadily, he brought a finger up and pointed to his own cheek. “What happened?”

“An... accident,” she replied, a little dishonestly. She did not reach out to touch her cheek. She knew how it looked. Each morning she stared into the glassy, clear mirror, and the raised, pink cicatrix that ran from under her eye to the edge of her jaw served a reminder of the choice she made as a child at eight years old. As she grew older, it became paler, flatter, her sense of purpose becoming blurrier. 

“Good thing you didn’t hurt your eyes," he said, now staring intently at her. 

"Good thing you still have your other eye.” 

He smiled. "That's true. That's what everyone says to me. Having one eye, or two eyes, in the end you can also learn a lot about someone just by drinking with them. But," he stopped, taking a sip from his glass, "You're probably not one of those people who would be able to reveal everything about themselves through a drink."

She put down her cigarette holder on the counter, folded her arms, and thought his words over. A long moment passed. He was making assumptions. About her. She wasn't sure if she liked that. But was he right? Was she too guarded? That may be true. Under non-alcoholic circumstances. He didnt know her.

She listened to her surroundings. The bar was desolate that night, but not cold. Whatever low chatter was heard that evening had drifted away as the final customers trickled out the door, triggering the brass bell that hung above it. Some obscure jazz music played from the jukebox. 

"Shinsuke," she said in a firm voice at last.

He followed her movements as she slowly got up from her seat.

"I can only think of one way to do this," she said, looking at him with a steely gaze. The steeliest he had felt from her all night. He was frozen to his spot. "I can't drink," she continued, "and I tried not to drink tonight, all night, because I didn't want you to see me like that." She wrapped all five fingers around the beer bottle's neck. "But - you know what, you're right." That bottle of beer, which she was so eager to abandon earlier, was now being clenched in an iron grip. "Here's a sight you have never seen before, Shinsuke. Please learn more about me."

She lifted the bottle to her lips, tipping the liquid into her mouth. And the last thing he saw - was the wild flicker of explosion behind those purple irises.

 

 

 

*   *   *

 


	2. I Simply Curate Tea - Botanist Botanical Botan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takasugi woke up in Tsukuyo's room after a wild drunken night where -- nothing happened, other than she having destroyed his clothes. They find out that they've known each other before meeting that night at the bar.

When he woke up that morning, a starch-white ceiling with a single square lamp was looming upon him. Where am I, he thought to himself. He turned his head, still lying down, to look around the room. It wasn’t his room. It was a neat, traditional bedroom, and his futon smelled fresh and had a faint smell of flowers, or a plant, but he couldn’t tell which.

Slowly, he sat up. He felt a stinging pain on his cheek, and his head hurt like a sledgehammer. He bent over himself, holding his head with one hand and groaned.

As the pain subsided, the memories of last night came flooding back. _I got K.O.-ed…_

The door slid open. “I’m coming in,” the voice of a teenage boy could be heard. His face popped around the door opening before he stepped in. “Oh, you’re already awake.” Hastily, the teenage boy walked in, carrying a tray of food. He knelt on the floor, and placed the tray down next to the low table at the side of the futon. There was a plate of fish, a bowl of rice, a mug of tea, and a glass of water. “Big sis Tsukuyo told me to bring these for you,” he explained. “She apologized for last night, but…” his voice trailed off. “But I think she will come back and talk to you again and apologize some more. That’s how she is. Well, hope you like a simple breakfast.”

“Thank you,” Shinsuke said in a low voice.

“I have also prepared your wash towel and a toothbrush for you. The washroom is straight down on the right of this corridor.”

“Unn… thank you.”

The teenage boy didn’t get up. He didn’t leave. He was sizing Shinsuke up with two narrow, slitty eyes. “You didn’t ask about your clothes.”

Shinsuke looked down at his chest.

It’s true. He’s wearing something that wasn’t his. Involuntarily, his mouth opened slightly. “Who —”

“It was me. Did you think big sis Tsukuyo would change your clothes while you lay prostrate?”

“…No. Sorry to have troubled you.”

“My name is Seita,” the boy offered.

He nodded, then hesitated awhile. “She’s not injured anywhere, is she?”

“She’s fine. Like I said, she wanted to apologize to you.”

“I’m ….fine. I don’t need an apology.”

“What the hell is that attitude? Are you rejecting Big Sis Tsukuyo?”

“That’s not what I meant —”

He slowly pulled the white comforter away from his body. “Sorry, I would like my clothes back if it’s not too much trouble.” He got on his feet, and cast his gaze down at the still kneeling Seita.

Seita didn’t like his look. It was a little too murderous for his liking, even though this person was speaking politely to him. _Who the hell is this man, he didn’t even offer me his name when I told him mine._

 

  
* * *

 

Tsukuyo sat stone-faced on her chair at the office that morning. She had prepared the embers and shredded tobacco for her slender long pipe, but she was not smoking it. Her mind drifted over to last night at the bar. _Why did I say and do something like that?_ She crumpled her eyes as her internal anguish consumed her. The screen on her phone lit up. She glanced at it. A message from Seita. She picked it up.

“It’s okay, Big sis Tsukuyo ^_^ He doesn’t remember you shredding his shirt.”

_Oh my god…_

Another message.

“From the way he talks, I think he passed out before you tore it off him. ಥ‿ಥ”

_I’m way too strong… this is too embarrassing_

Another message.

“He’s asking about his clothes, though. I told him I’m washing them. You should run over and buy an exact pair then give it to him. ( ˘ ³˘)♥ ”

_What… that’s such a complicated plan…and what the hell is that kaomoji…._

Another message.

“It’s a simple plan. You say the washing is done and you folded it. (｀ー´ლ)”

_I can’t lie._

Another message.

“He also asked if you were hurt. (`･ω･´)”

Tsukuyo stared at the screen. She got up from her chair, and ran out of the office.

 

* * *

 

When she got back to Hinoya, it was already past noon. She rushed into the bedroom, but he wasn’t there. Her heart sank a little as she walked to the middle of the room. The futon was already folded and rolled up neatly, the table cleared. She placed a deep green-coloured paper bag on the table and sat down.

“…he left,” she said aloud after awhile.

“Who did?”

“That guy who was —” she shot up. Her posture suddenly straight. That voice! She snapped her head around towards the door.

It was him. He stood at the door entry, hands carrying a laundry basket.

“What are you—” she was startled at what she saw.

“Ah, that kid said he had my clothes in the wash, so I thought I’d wash it myself. But then I ended up washing everything…. and still can’t find my clothes.”

_Seita, that lazy, cunning brat—!_

“Sorry, I’m going to hang these up on the clothes lines, I’ll be right back.” He turned to go.

“No, wait!” She got up quickly and reached out her hand to stop him.  _What the hell, there are women clothes in there! My xxx are in there ——_

He stopped in his tracks, and turned back to look at her. She grabbed the load of laundry from his hands. “Why are you going about doing someone’s laundry on your first stay?! Your clothes aren’t in there!” She yelled at him.

He didn’t reply.

“I destroyed your clothes. Accidentally. No, I was drunk. So it wasn’t an accident. But I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.” She bowed her head slightly in apology.

She was holding the laundry basket. After awhile, she lifted her head to look at him. He was looking back at her. _Did it look like his hair on the front has grown longer overnight? His soft, dark purple locks were covering the one eye he said he had lost in an accident._ That was all she knew about him from their conversation at the bar last night.

He peered into her face, her skin far too pale compared to other girls in town. But that was given, seeing that she lives here, and from what he knew, this town had not seen the sunlight for the past 20 years, hidden away from the surface. But now that it has opened itself to the sun again, maybe she would slowly take a rosy complexion over time. He snapped back to reality, realised that this was an awkward situation, and that he had to deal with his clothes first.

“It’s fine, I’m glad to see you didn’t injure yourself. But do you have any male clothes I can wear? I can tell this set of pajamas belongs to the kid, but he’s still a size too small.”

She whipped her head back to the low table in the room. She put down the basket, took a few strides to the table and snatched the deep green paper bag up. She strode back towards him and shoved the bag into his hands. “I bought a replacement. It’s not the same clothes you were wearing last night, but… it should fit you better than Seita’s clothes.”

“Thank you.”

“Then, I’ll let you change in this room.” Her movements were quick. She picked the laundry basket back up and disappeared out the door, sliding it behind her.

He stood there like a statue, holding the paper pag lamely in his hands before finally examining it. Deep, dark-green paper, with blue and yellow prints of ISCTAN printed on it. It’s now slightly crumpled on the surface, the corners slightly whitish from rubbing friction.

_She went all the way to Shinjuku to buy this…?_

 

* * *

  
He walked out of the room in the new shirt she bought him. It was a plain black colour, which he was grateful for. She was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she’s hanging out the laundry? He walked towards the veranda at the back, but there was no sign of her. Just as he was about to turn around back to the front of the shop, walked up towards him from the kitchen. “Oh, I’m glad it fits you,” she said. “I’m sorry again about last night —”

“It was rude of me to fall asleep last night,” he began. He wasn’t going to let her apologize again and again.

“What — no, it was my faul— ”

“—just when you were asking me to learn more about you,” he continued.

Her cheeks grew hot. _Don’t remind me of that embarrassing moment, you dumbass!!_ She shrieked internally.

“Let’s start over.”

“Huh?” She stared at him.

“Let’s learn about each other all over again. But maybe not at a drinking bar.” He chuckled a bit.

“No,” she finally said.

Silence.

“It was my fault,” she started to explain with an apology again. “I don’t know why I came onto you so strongly last night — I’m usually not like this. I’m not that kind of person.” Her voice was firm.

“I know.”

“You don’t know me —”

“Where do you get your curated teas from? For this tea shop?”

She was puzzled by the sudden change in topic. But she answered honestly all the same. “From Nagoya. But what has that —”

“You order two three hundred grams bags of curated tea every nine weeks. One fruity, the other is usually plain matcha.”

_Who are you?_

“I’m Takasugi Shinsuke, your tea curator from BOTANIST BOTANICAL BOTAN in Nagoya.”

The revelation hit her like a smashing comet. Her thoughts ran around quickly. It’s true though, he never offered his family name or full name last night.

“We spoke on the phone before. We also added each other on LINE.” He took out his phone, and started dialling her number.

Her phone rang in her dress pocket to the tune of _Takeuchi Mariya’s_ _Your Eyes_.

 

 _I'm dreaming_  
_And in my dream, I see your eyes_  
_They fill my heart with heaven_  
_I'm flying_  
_And in the sky, I see your eyes_  
_They answer all my longing_  
_For you_

 

Gingerly, she reached in and pulled her phone out. The dialer flashed across her screen reads, “SEXY VOICE FROM BOTANIST BOTANICAL - 81-xxx-xx39-x3xx - Calling…” Quickly, she shoved her phone behind her back. _Holy crap, did he see that? I hope he didn’t see that._

“That’s my name on your screen, isn’t it?”

“Uhh— ah. Yes.” _Steady. Steady, Tsukuyo. Get a grip._

He tapped on his phone. “SEXY VOICE FROM HINOYA - 81-xxx-21xx-x21x - Call ending…”

Her phone stopped ringing. He smiled involuntarily at his choice of nickname for her nd put the phone back into his pants pocket. “You sound even better in person,” he told her.

“Wha —” _What, did he see what I named him???_

“When did you find out we knew each other?”

“Before you came back. I found out this is Hinoya, and I remembered you told me that your name is Tsukuyo last night. Not many girls come by with that name. I placed two and two together.”

She nodded. “I see.” Then she smiled at him. “Since we already somewhat knew each other, let’s go and get something to eat. It’s time for lunch. Are you hungry?”

He returned her smile. “So you don’t think I’m a creeper now?”

She retained her smile. “Maybe, but I was a trained police cadet before going into the security business. I majored in Criminal Psychology at university and was at the top of my class. Maybe I know a thing or two about suspicious characters.”

“You’re a tea lady now.”

“It’s my cover.”

* * *


	3. Until the Beast Stops Whining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More background stuff. Trying to introduce plot. Both Takasugi Shinsuke and Tsukuyo are getting to know each other.

The day they went out on the pretext of a late lunch, the time flew by in a flash. She brought him to her favourite noodle shop in Tokyo. He agreed those were one of the best ramen he had ever tried. She tried to pay, he stopped her. He threw a wad of bills on the money tray and waved their server away. He looked at her, then closed his eye. She was momentarily puzzled, then realised he was winking at her. But she couldn’t tell at first, because his long bangs were covering the other eye. She burst out laughing at the comical situation. He realised it a little late, but he too, blushed a little. When was the last time that he had felt this light-hearted, this alive?

They then went to the grocer's and bought two bags of persimmons, which came early in season that year and freshly harvested from growers. This time she stopped him when he tried to pay.

“Let me just pay, to thank you for the shirt.”

“No, I ripped your shirt, so…”

“I didn’t suffer any losses, so I don’t consider that a compensation.”

In the end he couldn’t win over her, so they agreed to pay their own share.

They went to a nearby cafe for a short rest, a novel, quaint little place that, according to Tsukuyo, served beautiful taro cheese cakes, the colour of lavender. The interiors were decorated with succulents on counters, some hanging at the doors and walls. Low, warm lights lit the space in common, non-descript glass bulbs. A skinny, dark-haired server stood behind the cashier, bowing slightly to them in a welcoming gesture. "Welcome," was all he said, with a faint smile. Shinsuke thought he looked a little too wooden. He glanced quickly at the server's tag. "Yamazaki" was engraved on the gold, lacquered plate above his breast pocket. He thought the name sounded familiar, but brushed it off as they sat down at a small, round, rustic, wooden table.

She learned, over tea during this time, that he had come to Tokyo from Nagoya to visit one of his customers from his tea shop. "Usually, he would make the trip to see me, twice a year. But it’s quite inconvenient for him this time. He had an accident and was confined to a wheelchair for the time being. The navigation device on his wheelchair isn’t working well with his GPS, so he wasn't able to come to me. He requested that I go over and look at some seeds that he had been researching on up close.”

“Seeds?” Her eyes widened a little.

"I used to work as a botanist. I still do some research on my own and provide freelance consultations. My trade is now in my tea shop, Botanist Botanical Botan, though."

"I see.. a botanist, huh."

“Ah.. it’s not a really exciting job. What made you join the police?" He changed the topic quickly.

She realised what he was doing, but decided to go along with it. She was feeling generous. But then, not really. “Men are incapable of protecting women,” she stated bluntly.

He cast a look at her from the corner of his teacup, and waited.

"Men only know how to protect dead things. Flag. Country. Justice for other men. They don't realise that women are part of all these things. Flags came from the woven fabrics from women's hands. Country built on women's blood and tears. Men born from women's wombs. And yet none of them can protect women.“

He sipped his tea. “You're right." He placed his cup on his saucer. "Men are the more emotional, irrational sex."

“Would you include yourself in that description?”

He laughed. "Including me."

At the point where he answered that question, she saw a cloud had come over his face in a sombre way. Maybe she imagined it? _Or maybe, just… what kind of baggage he's carrying?_

“Protecting someone, or a group of people is not an easy task. You don’t look like the type to give up and be a tea lady.” Was he too straightforward, probing too soon? He wondered what kind of past she had had, that was all.

She smiled. "The tea shop is Hinowa’s.”

“Hinowa is...”

“She’s my older sister. Seita, the boy you met this morning, is her adopted son.”

“Oh.”

“I was only helping her with ordering tea from suppliers, because she had a quarrel with a bothersome supplier we had - before you." She stopped, deciding whether to reveal more. “And if you’re wondering if our security office gets any business at all, we do get more orders for surveillance systems. We have drones, reliable engineers and computer techs dedicated to preventive, detective and responsive systems. We rely on their expertise for security in this town. So yes, the mayor does pay us quite handsomely."

He nodded. The slices of taro cheesecakes, shiny with sugary glaze, sat untouched on both their plates. For some reason, their conversation had become serious. And she was not going to reveal more.  _She's so tight-lipped,_ he thought.

“Ahh, look. This chocolate piece seems quite unique, doesn’t it?” She had brought his attention to the cakes. A small piece of chocolate, cut into the shape of an odd octogram, sat on a soft cushion of swirly cream at the edge of the cake. Small beads of condensation appeared on the chocolate’s surface. It was slowly melting in room temperature. He stared at it, the shape, the colour, triggering his memories.

"Do you know about the star anise?" He found himself involuntarily opening his mouth.

She looked at him questioningly, fork plunged into the cake. "Shikimi?"

"That's right. The shikimi.” He brought the teacup to his lips once more, taking his time sipping it, and then placed it back down. “The Japanese shikimi, is highly toxic and inedible in every form. They're only used to make incense, for burning away odours of decay in funeral parlours and keep the air purified. The Chinese variation, on the other hand, is widely used for cooking in many dishes, including roast meat, soups. They give a very different, but fragrant taste. Any mixup between the two, however, and you'll have a fatal mistake on your hands."

He looked at her. He could tell that the revelation stunned her, but she kept quiet, chewing on her cake, and waited for him to continue. _Ah, damn_ , he thought despairingly. _I was supposed to get her to talk about herself, but she has gotten me to talk about me._ He realised it was too late to stop, so he kept going. “I had a person very dear to me who died because of this mistake.”

Tsukuyo’s eyes widened, but she stayed silent.

"That's when I started having an interest in botany." He chuckled, as if it's a foolish memory.

Her eyes softened. He waited for her mutters of sympathy to come, like the ones he had received from many people each time, but no words of such nature came from her mouth. “Do you regret it?” Was her question. She placed her fork down.

Did he regret it? He tried searching himself for the answer many times. Especially since that time, but he realised that searching for an answer was futile. This was where he is now. He left the formal profession, left the massive, messy conglomerate of corporate pharmaceuticals, opened a tea shop, sourcing plants and tea from plant nurseries in Nagoya, and yet — he still found himself back in Tokyo. He’s still doing what he does best — looking at damn leafy greens and peering at earthy seeds.

He didn’t answer, so she pushed on. “If you’re not a botanist now, then that means something made you left. And you’ve started a new life. There’s no need for regret.”

This time, she took a sip of her tea. She paused, and then continued.

“But you are still doing research in this field you have apparently left, on your own volition, and you’re putting effort to help people who you could have easily ignored, so that also means you aren’t that scarred by your choice. Or maybe, you are just part masochistic.”

She turned to him with piercing eyes. “I don’t know what happened to you in your past, but I don’t think you are a bad person. This is what I truly feel from my heart.”  
  
He felt his heartbeat increasing. And looked away.

They left the cafe not long after, and by the time he's ready to board the train back to Nagoya, his heart started to feel heavy for the first time that day. The station was busy, and sounds of footsteps filled the walkways. The shuffling of clothes, the chatters on mobile phones. Both of them stood at the side wall, facing each other before he went through the ticket gates. Flood of people were moving in and out of them.

"You'd better go," she said, gesturing towards the gates with a lift of her chin. “It’s getting late.”

“You’re chasing me off already?“ he asked, smiling, the bag of persimmons held loosely by his fingers by his side. “It’s only one and a half hour to Nagoya. If I missed this one, I can take the next one.”

“Don’t be silly. That’s a waste of ticket money.”

“What, think I can’t afford it?”

“Shinsuke…”

“I’ll text you.”

She nodded. “Now go, before you miss it.”

“I’ll see you again.”

“Okay, okay.” _Whatever, we’re just going to go back to being a customer and a sexy voice supplier anyway_ , she thought. _What’s the point? After all…_ she was okay with it.

“I’ll come again next month,” he muttered quickly, turned away from her, and zipped through the gates in a crowd of people.

“What —” She wanted to call after him, but he was already gone, his purple hair disappeared into the sea of black.

 

 

* * *

 

  
Many times since that day, she had been uncertain about many things. She was uncertain if he’s genuine, or just another player, like all the other men. Technically, she had no experience in this area, but almost all men are players and all the women she had known could attest to this. And if, in the one percentile that he was truly genuine, she was uncertain if she really wanted a relationship at this point of her life. She was uncertain of what she was doing. She was uncertain of everything she had been doing up until now. Why was she so keen to get to know him? _I’m not desperate. I don’t need a relationship. I don’t need a man. Sure, he’s a little attractive, and he has purple hair, which is my favourite colour… what am I saying?_

Gripped by a sense of sheer frustration, she tore up yesterday’s calendar page off the wall, right in half, and scrunched it up, finishing it with a toss into the waste paper basket. _Men. Ugh._

_I’ll text you._

She shook her head, trying not to think about him. His message arrived just when she was dressed up for work. She grabbed her phone, expecting it to be one of the staff at the security office. Today is half-day, she had promised Hinowa that she would come back at noon to take over the shop while Seita would be taking her to the doctor’s for a checkup on her feet, followed by an afternoon physiology exercise. It was, instead, a message from Shinsuke. Her heart leaped.

“Good morning. I arrived safely. Hope I didn’t worry you ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡ )”

_…wait, this emote is blind in one eye?!_

“Good morning. Have a productive Monday.” She typed quickly. 「Send」.

She let out a sigh. Panicked, she looked at her phone again. _Oh no. Was I too cold in my reply? I’ll send an emote.. an emote.. ugh…_

She tapped her screen frantically…

“ಥ_ಥ” 「Send」.

_….WAIT. Is this a good emote or a bad emote???? Just…. just how do you choose emotes??_

She realised she needed help. “S-sei-seita!!!!”

 

  
* * *

 

Five minutes later.

“Just how could you not know how to use emotes? Geez. Ok, look, this is how you use emotes.” Seita handed her phone back to her. “This should cancel out that weird emote you sent just now.”

Tsukuyo read the message.

“Sorry about the blunder just now. I meant to send ( *ﾟэﾟ ) ♡”

A swift smack landed on the teenage boy’s head. “Oi, Seita, do you want to die?!”

“Ouch!! What is it!!!” he yelled in protest, rubbing his head.

“I know how to read emotes, you brat. I just don’t know how to _choose_ them.”

“But I helped you send this same emote to Mom last week and you were okay with it!! I also helped you to send this to Kyuubei!!”

“Sending this to Hinowa is okay. Sending it to Kyuubei is okay too! Sending it to him is….. not okay! One hundred percent not okay! Learn the difference between what is okay and what is not okay. Hey, don’t take me for a fool. I am —”

“YEAH you were a Criminal Psychology major! You know when people are lying to you! But you don’t know how to choose emotes.”

“AH I’m late!” She cried as she looked at her phone. “I’ll punish you later when I get home!” She quickly gathered her belongings and rushed out the door.

A soft and kind-faced woman in her late thirties stood in the doorway with a smile on her face. “Hi-hinowa!” Tsukuyo stuttered. “This kid tried to cheat me!” She pointed a finger in the boy’s direction. She glared at him menacingly.

Hinowa pursed her lips sternly. “Don’t tease Tsukuyo like this,” she finally said. “It’s a guy she’s talking to, after all. Intentions can get lost easily in messages. Don’t embarrass her, okay?”

“Hinowa, how did you know that I was talking to —” this time her phone rang. Checking the name on the caller, and confirming it as her office staff, she stuffed the phone into her bag and turned tails.

“I really need to go.” With that, she sprinted out of the house.

“I’m sixteen years old!” He yelled after her.

The door closed with a slam.

“Who the hell punishes a sixteen year-old? Stupid Big Sis Tsukuyo..”

 

  
* * *

 

 

He wasn’t sure what to make of the kaomoji he received. _It kind of works, well, whatever. It’s still cute._

“Thank you. A new batch of fruity teas will arrive end of this week. I will send you the list of the shipment we have this Friday. ಥ__x” 「Send」.

He started checking his emails for the day.

         

 

                “From: Kondou Isao  
                 Subject: RE: re: re: Seed #402A

                 Thank you for offering to come the other day. The seed I showed you had started to sprout roots in Solution C after 24 hours.

                 It has a faint smell of the common banana cultivar. Let me know your progress.

 

                 Kondou”

 

 

He turned to look at the sample he had soaked into a beaker filled with clear liquid on his table the night before. So far, after a full 12 hours, nothing has changed. It will be another 12 hours before he will check on it again.

He started to feel slightly uncomfortable, as if something bad is about to happen, and he couldn’t shake off the feeling. It was a familiar sense of dread that he did not wish to have, if he could help it, for the rest of his life.

  
* * *


	4. Love at First Sight with One Eye 20/20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More plot. Shinsuke got into deep shit even though it feels like shallow shit. It's not really deep shit I just need a plot to get it going and get him involved. Tsukuyo accepts a job from Nobume and a man in her past came back to haunt her. She will sleep with Shinsuke just not in this chapter. Sorry. I'm just bad at summarizing chapters.

His 2LDK cottage in Nagoya is by no means fancy by Tokyo standards, but it did have, among the basic rooms, an open kitchen and lounge space, a backyard lawn enough space for laundry and plots of earth for flowers, and a veranda facing it. He managed to persuade the landlady to replace the old, battered chain-link fencing with brand new PVC fencing, for aesthetic reasons, and for more privacy. He would not reveal to Kamui, his former underclassman, who had a habit of dropping by randomly once every two weeks, that his method of persuasion simply involved a charming smile and a gift basket of curated, season-limited teas, although Kamui himself had his own elaborate idea of what actually transpired. A small sunroom, installed with perspex glass from floor to ceiling, was attached at the side of the house, which allowed him to place a long wooden table for his work, and a train of metal racks was parked along the wall for his plants and succulents.

By the end of the second week, the only table in his sunroom was lined with beakers and labeled wooden boxes of seedlings. A large, white, stereo microscope sat at the corner of the table. Notebook in one hand and a pen in the other, he checked off the boxes of the sampled seedlings and jotted down the figures to calculate for their germination rate. He had a nagging feeling of anxiety since the first seed given by Kondou was germinated, by now he felt like he was forced to confront an unresolved chapter in his past.

He sighed as he closed his notebook, then carrying it under his arm and walked out of the sunroom. He turned and closed the door behind him just as he heard his phone ringing and vibrating on the table in the dining room. He made quick strides to it, but the ringing stopped before he could pick it up. The screen indicated that it was a missed call from Kondou. Furrowing his brows, he debated awhile whether to call him back. The past few emails from Kondou had been a little strange, pushy even. He was sure that the usual good-natured Kondou wasn’t the type of person to annoy him about his work. Just yesterday, he received an email from Kondou saying that he was passing over all of his own seedlings and findings to the police department. The inspector in charge, Hijikata Toushirou, wasted no time in calling Shinsuke about his own research.

Shinsuke didn’t like him. He was an idiot, he could tell, but he tried to act cool. The first time Hijikata rang him through a video call, he was wearing a dark grey S.E.N.S. t-shirt with blobs of customized neon paint. When they were talking, halfway into the conversation, Hijikata lit his cigarette with a lighter that resembled the shape of a mayonnaise bottle. He was domineering, an unlikeable man compared to Kondou, Shinsuke thought. _Annoying._

He decided to make a call back to Kondou. It was answered almost immediately.

“Yes, sorry.” Shinsuke leaned on the edge of the table with his backside. “I’ve completed the germination chart. You’re right, the seeds don’t seem to be from this planet. I would have to carry out more tests to investigate the origins.” He paused and listened. “Who is this?”

More listening. “Yes, Inspector Hijikata, I wonder if you knew that grabbing the phone from someone is a rude gesture?”

He rolled his eyes as he listened to the other end. “The forensic team from the police department? Why?” He paused. “Hold on. I don’t recall promising that I would be helping out the police department. I offered a pro-bono service for Kondou as my long-time customer. I am not obligated to perform this service indefinitely. Moreover, I believe that these seeds have been freely given to me by him and if you or your police team wants them back, feel free to come to me with a warrant.”

He ended the call with a swift tap on his phone and threw his notebook on the table, where it landed with a loud whack. He felt hotly challenged from that phone call. He wasn’t sure why he became so angry when these people requested that he shared his findings with the forensic team. He had feeling that Kondou, who was previously attached to the police, had first asked him to check the seeds because there was no justification to get a government-funded forensic team to examine potential evidence for a still-shut cold case. And he was the one who willingly walked into it after all. Now he felt used. Yes, that was why he was angry. He felt lied to, being led into a trap. He could lie to them about destroying all the seeds if they do come with a warrant. He needed a new and safe place to hide them until he could investigate more about these seedlings that everyone suddenly had an interest in.

Right then the doorbell rang. _What now, are they here so fast?_ He stood there, wondering what to do, should he run into his sunroom and move the boxes of seedlings? Should he call for reinforcements? He walked up to the door and pressed a button on the electronic panel located next to it. A familiar, smiling face with flaming red hair stared back at him with a wave on the CCTV screen. _Kamui._

He unlocked and opened the door.

“Yo.” Kamui then slid in smoothly with a slight gait. With his hands in his pockets, he headed straight for the couch.

“I have no time for you today,” Shinsuke replied, showing his annoyance.

“But you opened the door.” Kamui grinned from ear to ear, plopping his ass down.

That was true. He did let him in. He closed the door and locked it and then turned around to face him. “What do you want? Milk or cookies or both?”

“Ah, don’t be so cold, Takasugi-senpai.”

Shinsuke looked at him straight on with a dead panned face.

“That guy is back in Japan.” Kamui said quietly, staring him squarely with serious eyes.

He wasn’t sure at first who Kamui was referring to. Which guy? There were so many guys he had known in his life. They were all annoying as hell, and while his mind used to be filled with bittersweet memories of the time when he was much younger, those days were long gone. But if there is one person that Kamui was also attached to – then it could only be the one guy he missed but also didn’t want to see.

“By that guy, you mean –”

“Your childhood friend. Your best friend. Your rival. Your inseparable partner, Sakata Gintoki.” Kamui finished his sentence with a sing-song tone. Seeing his upperclassman not reacting, he went on. “My sister passed the info. She wouldn’t say anything more. You know, that guy’s like a second brother to her now.”

“Won’t your baby sister hate you for passing out information on her second brother?”

“Well –” Kamui grinned again. “I’m the blood brother. She’ll forgive me no matter what. Besides, you’re not the bad guy.”

“I hate to tell you this, but that information is of no use to me. Me and him – our bonds were severed years ago. Do you expect that I will meet him and we’re going to have a happy reunion with beer, balloons, confetti and rainbow streamers?”

Kamui nodded, still smiling. “If you say so. But you know this already, don’t you?”

Shinsuke waited, expressionless. He actually had little idea of what was going on, but only because he hadn’t been keeping tabs on things these past few weeks. Since that trip back from Tokyo, all he had been doing was going about his usual tea shop business, researching the seeds at night, recording germination rate and comparisons between other seedlings for Kondou, supposedly, before the police department and Hijikata butted into the business, plus texting and video calling Tsukuyo. He tried to keep his face from blushing at the thought of her. _At least, I’m not going to blush in front of this brat_ , he thought.

“There’s a reason he’s back here now.” Kamui went on. “The police cordoned off Kabukicho in Tokyo at 7PM tonight, a few hours ago. An alien fugitive was caught.”

“So? They catch alien fugitives here all the time.”

“The fugitive died six months ago. He was caught, died in his cell, buried. But he’s now being found alive.”

“What?”

“Yup. He has taken something. They are sure he didn’t just ingest some plants in its raw form,” Kamui added, as if that was not obvious. “But at this point someone must have already been making prototype pills. He must be an escaped test subject.”

“Did they find anything on him?”

“Nope.” Kamui turned serious. “But the guy stole into our spaceship plant nursery three days ago, apparently looking for something.”

Shinsuke said nothing, so Kamui continued. “The guy certainly wasn’t looking for chickens or ducks. We had our men out, but he got away.”

“If you let a simple vampire thief like that got away, you really need to upgrade your security system.”

“Ooh. Do you have any recommendation? Perhaps a security business run by a woman by the name of Tsukuyo?” Kamui clicked his tongue.

Shinsuke felt hot. He gestured his thumb towards the door. “Time’s up.”

Kamui got up from the couch, smiling widely. “As I said, you know this already. The police works for the government. The government is run by a bunch of old goons with one foot into their coffins looking for both of those things. If you have anything like that on your hands, or even one of them, you had better hide it safe, senpai. The police will come for you.”

He paused at the door. “She was a former police officer, wasn’t she? You seem to get involved with that bunch a lot.”

With that, Kamui opened the door by himself and walked out, slamming it shut as he left.

Shinsuke let out a laugh by himself. “The police.” The words came out of his mouth bitterly, like an unworthy particle of nutriment on a clean dinner plate. That moment, he felt the pangs of loneliness that he thought he had gotten over with years ago are rushing back at him like a wave.

 

* * *

 

 

Hijikata Toushirou’s mouth was agape when Takasugi Shinsuke hung up on him. When the line went dead, he cast a glance at Kondou, his former superior, who sat staring back at him in his wheelchair.

Kondou shrugged at him with a small smile. “Well, he’s that type of person. He’s not a bad guy, Toshi –”

“You trust people too readily. And I’m not saying he’s the bad guy right now. Why is he so secretive about his work when you handed over yours so easily?”

“It’s unfair to him, Toshi. You know that I handed everything over to you because of my previous attachment to the unit. He on the other hand, is a botanist.”

“He also runs a tea shop, for some weird ass reason.”

“Well, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. For example, I like bananas. I’m planning to open a smoothie shop with the item, ‘Banana Double Hazelnut Supreme’ on the recommended menu. What do you think, Toshi?”

Hijikata groaned. “As you like, Kondou-san. As you like.”

“Right? Double Hazelnut on the sides. A banana in the middle. Novel. Simply novel. Hahaha. Do you think Otae-san will love it?”

Hijikata had an urge to facepalm, but at that moment saw one of his men with shaggy black hair, marching towards him with a folder under his arm. “Inspector!”

“Yes, I hear you, Yamazaki.” Hijikata held out his hand.

“Findings on Takasugi Shinsuke and a woman he’s been seeing.” Yamazaki handed the folder over.

Hijikata took the folder and flipped the pages. “…Tsukuyo? She was –”

“Yes. The former inspector from OCU 7. The one who resigned two years ago and is currently running a security business.”

“And we still have nothing that confirms the incident that triggered her resignation?”

“No formal incident is recorded, sir. But rumours, as you already know, had it that it was because of that particular failed capture.”

Hijikata closed the folder. “I want to know why Takasugi is meeting with a former inspector. This is too fishy to ignore. Also, from our investigation so far, this guy is an old acquaintance with the other guy we are also looking for. I want everyone to keep an eye on Takasugi Shinsuke.”

“Yes, sir.”

"Toshi-" Kondou started with a tone of persuasion.

"Kondou-san. This is our job now. We have to keep on eye on him, even if you say he isn't a bad guy."

"No, I mean the Banana Double Hazelnut idea, do you think Otae would -"

"Oh." Hijikata shrugged. "Yes, I'm sure your wife will love it."

And Kondou's cheeks went bright red at the validation.

 

* * *

 

 

 _Hmm, the choice of teas for this month looks interesting,_ Tsukuyo thought, her finger sliding through her phone screen, scrolling at the list Takasugi has sent her. _I should ask Hinowa if she wants to try and order this rooibos and apricot blend. Matcha is still matcha, though…_ She sighed deeply, throwing her back against her chair, phone still held close to her face. _Matcha brown rice is an easy choice. But the other one…_ She ran her fingers through her front hair. _Ahh, this is so difficult! I really want to try this lavender and cherry blend, too… why are they both season-limited?_

While Tsukuyo was mulling over which tea she should be ordering that month, in the far corner of the office, where the pantry is, a small group of female staff had gathered as they made tea and coffee, stirring their spoon noisily in colourful, ceramic mugs as they made idle chatter during a not-so-busy day.

“Have you noticed that the boss is looking more cheerful in recent days?” asked one girl.

“You’ve noticed it, too?” Another girl piped up, looking surprised.

“Of course I have! It’s been awhile since we see that smile returned to her face,” the first girl replied matter-of-factly.

“She’s now taking time to look through shopping catalogues, when she wouldn’t do that before,” a third girl interjected.

“I caught her having a video call with some guy last Tuesday during lunch. I couldn’t see properly, but I think he has purple hair.” All eyes are now turned towards the fourth girl, who had suddenly offered the most information to the group.

“I saw that too! She was giggling a little during that call.” A fifth girl confirmed.

“Seriously?” Second Girl gasped, her face expressing pleasant surprise rather than disbelief.

“Ah, it’s true,” Third Girl nodded slightly, addressing no one in particular. “Ever since that incident with Sakata —”

 _“_ Shh,” an urgent whisper cut through the girl in mid-sentence. “Don’t mention that name. She doesn’t want to hear it.”

“I always say, the only way a woman can forget about her old love is to have a new love.”

“Even if you say that, I don’t think this is what you all think it is. I overheard that he is the tea supplier for Hinowa-sama’s tea shop.”

“Are you saying a supplier-customer relationship can’t exist?”

“Well, no, but —”

They heard the pantry door slid open loudly at the same time Tsukuyo’s voice rang through the small room. “Oi, there’s only one person out there at the telesales station.” Their superior stood at the entrance, eyes looking at them lazily, but disapprovingly stern. The pantry fell silent. Not even the sound of spoon stirring could be heard. She tilted her head a little, and strands of hair from her short, blond bob fell down her cheek from behind her ears, framing her oval face. “Ladies?” She called out to the group of silent women.

And they straightened their backs at once, standing at attention. “Y-yes! Sorry! I’m returning to my desk!” It took only one girl in the group to utter those words, and as soon as she hurried out of the pantry, the other girls followed like a trail of chicks behind a mother hen.

When everyone had returned to their desks, Tsukuyo let out a sigh. Her phone vibrated in her pocket with an alert tone. She took it out and read the message.

 

[Nobume]

_Good morning, Tsukuyo-senpai. There’s something new coming up and we need your help. Please._

 

Tsukuyo typed a reply.

_I’m not your senior anymore. Stop referring to me as such. Do I get paid?_

She put the phone back into her pants pocket and walked to her desk in front, looking at the clock on her desktop computer. It was almost lunch time, but Shinsuke had not called or texted all morning. _Maybe he’s busy,_ she thought, trying to shake off her anxiety. _He has no obligation to call me every day. We aren’t dating._ She suddenly found herself craving for firm, juicy persimmons, the ones they had that day. She took her phone out of her pocket and placed it on the table, waiting for it to light up.

 

A new message. But it wasn’t him.

 

[Nobume]

_You always get paid._

[Tsukuyo]

_There was one time you didn’t pay me._

[Nobume]

_We will pay you. There’s a footage we need you to help with. Your team could probably help to improve the image quality for us._

[Tsukuyo]

_Face recognition? License plates?_

[Nobume]

_Face recognition. And also additional surveillance help. I’ll send the details._

[Tsukuyo]

_I’ll have one of my girls get in touch with you and send you a quote._

 

[Nobume]

_If you please. I’ll send the images over right now._

Eight pictures followed one after another was delivered to the chat window. Without enlarging them, she selected all eight and forwarded them to her team on their private chat server. She put her phone down and looked at the time on her computer again, and sighed.

_Whatever, why do I care?_

Her thoughts flashed back to the first night they met at the bar. She wasn’t sure what made him so approachable to her. All she knew was that she had to talk to him that night. Maybe it was that eye, blind and forever shut to the world. Maybe it was that other functional eye, looking full of determination to live despite mirroring a vast universe of pain and bright green. And it was the way he smiled at her, the way he looked at her, that made her feel that, for the first time in a long time, that she was no longer alone. She wanted to be with him, close to him. 

Her phone beeped. A text.

 

[Shinsuke]

_I will be coming to Tokyo again._

Her heart started racing.

 

[Shinsuke]

_I want to see you._

 

[Tsukuyo]

_When?_

[Shinsuke]

_Next Friday. I will be taking the morning train._

 

She looked at her calendar. November 16.

 

[Shinsuke]

_I have things to tell you. Please wait for me._

[Tsukuyo]

_Can’t we just talk over voice chat?_

[Shinsuke]

_No._

There was no silly kaomojis, no silly teasing from him like their usual empty banters. She realised that this was important. _What’s going on?_

[Tsukuyo]

_Are you okay?_

She waited 5 minutes, but there was no reply. She thought of calling him via voice chat immediately, but decided against it. There must a reason that he’s not elaborating much at this time.

 

 

* * *

 

 

He stared at what he had typed up on his phone. _Please believe me_

He backspaced rapidly. There was no reason for her to believe in him on empty words. What are they? Just a customer and a supplier who constantly harmlessly flirted with each other. They aren’t officially dating. They haven't kissed, haven't held hands. Why did he decide to meet her and tell her everything? _She's_ _just one woman. Why do I care so much? What the hell is happening to me?_ _There was no reason to fall in love so quickly._

But he’s quickly realising that was what had happened. It already happened the first night they met at the bar. _Love at first sight, what a joke. Takasugi Shinsuke, you’re lame as hell._

 

 

* * *

 

 

“…That’s –” one of the girls stopped typing the moment the image was successfully enlarged with quality enhanced. It was a man with silverish permed hair, and he was standing amidst some lamp posts on a street, with what looked like shoe boxes under both arms.

“Where did you get this?” the girl sitting next to her asked.

“It’s one of the images the boss posted on the chat server,” the girl replied.

“…it’s the new job, isn’t it?”

“We’re not going to take this job. She’s not going to have to see this face.” One girl appeared from the left and reached out an arm to press the delete button.

“No, wait! You can’t!” The girl grabbed her colleague’s arm, stopping her. “She’ll be furious with us. She already –”

“We’re not going to let her get hurt again, you understand? Just when she had just met a new person –”

“What’s the commotion all about?”

Both girls stopped arguing. Tsukuyo came up behind them, and looked at all the girls sitting in front of her. Her eyes averted from them and stopped in front of the screen, and she froze after seeing the image.

“Boss, this job…”

“We’re professionals.” Tsukuyo replied curtly, cutting her off. “We’re taking this job. Write an email to our client.”

“Y-yes.” And without another word of protest, the girl brought up an email screen and started typing.

Tsukuyo felt her heart wavering, as if an old nail wound that had long healed was opening up again. There was no way she could show what she's feeling to her staff, the group of girls, who had always looked up to her, and even care for her. There was no way she could let them worry about her. Still, she couldn't help feeling despair settling in.  _What is he doing here?_ _Just what… is he doing here?_

 

* * *

 

 

 


	5. I No Longer Want to See the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Bansai x Matako stuff. Nobume meets with Gintoki. More Tsukuyo and Shinsuke moments. IDK WTF I'm writing. I tried.

The tea shop was located about three minutes by foot from the Kakuozan train station in Nagoya. It was small; entry to the shop was through a full-glass door with rustic, white wooden frames. A slender, metal hanger was fixed into the wall, and on it, hung a black, square signboard with white wordings: 『 **Botanist Botanical Botan** **』**. While the shop could only seat twelve customers at the maximum, and could probably come across as a little too quaint for the usual city café lover, business was reasonably good – for the monthly earnings were more than enough to break even. Perhaps it was thanks to Shinsuke’s carefully crafted menu of special blended teas, earl grey tarts, and seasonal wagashi. But more likely, it was the inclusion of more common brunch items like egg and cheese sandwich, simple onigiri, and red bean pastry rolls that helped with the small shop’s popularity, as students and office workers who passed by were more inclined to purchase finger foods than a full set of sit-in meals.

Today the shop was manned by two people. One was Kijima Matako, a young girl with long blond hair which she tied up in a single, side pony-tail. She was in a bad mood and she sat stony-faced at the counter in her shop uniform in black shirt and green apron. The other was Kawakami Bansai, a young man with his teal hair combed up and back, leaving a row of styled, spiky fringes down his forehead. He wore smallish sunglasses, black ear studs, and had a pen and notepad in the pocket of his green apron. He sat with a deadpan expression on his face, on a high stool at the counter opposite Matako, in a 4-figure position, one elbow on the counter, the other hand on his knee.

It had been raining since morning, and as such the shop had only served two customers, and had been empty ever since. Silence filled the air.

“Senpai.” Matako was first to speak.

“What.” He answered without looking at her, face straight ahead towards the door, as if willing a customer to walk in at that moment. But the rain was still heavy, and no one was passing by. _Here it comes,_ he thought to himself, dreading the conversation to follow.

“Why is Shinsuke-sama looking so gloomy these days?”

“He’s caught up with something right now. Give him some space.”

“He’s on the phone frequently even when he’s at the shop. I think... it’s a woman.”

Bansai turned around to look at her. She looked like she was about to cry. Everyone working at the shop knew that Matako had the biggest crush on Shinsuke. Bansai had a suspicion that Shinsuke himself knew, too, but feigned total ignorance of her feelings. To Bansai, sometimes he couldn’t tell whether this approach was kind, or just cruel.

He debated quickly on how to respond to her. If he said to her, ‘talking to a woman is no big deal,’ it could give her false hopes. If he said, ‘well yeah he’s still a single man, he’s free to hunt,’ it would be too blunt.

“Ah yeah, I don’t think Shinsuke is gay.” In the end, that was the thing that came out from his mouth.

Matako stared at him. He stared back, through those smallish sunglasses. She couldn’t see his eyes through them.

“Senpai, don't tell me that you’re also….in love with Shinsu…”

“What? Hell, no.”

He reached up and pushed her forehead with two fingers. She knew he was gesticulating to her, ‘Don’t be silly.’ It was something Bansai would do from time to time whenever she said something childish. And it was comforting for her to spill her heart to him. Her head tilted slightly to the back from the contact force of his fingers. When she calmed down a little, she started speaking again. “It’s the same woman each time… I saw him texting, making video calls. I asked him if she were his girlfriend and he said no. I’m –”

“He cares for you. In his own way.” Bansai interjected.

It was the same thing every time. Matako would get anxious whenever Shinsuke talked to anything that resembled a female human being. If the female was attractive, she would further drown herself in worry and despair. He had listened to all of her woes about Shinsuke all this time and she had even cried on his shoulder, into his chest, on more than two occasions, over Shinsuke. Shinsuke himself had not responded to her feelings even once. While she had not really confessed to him, Bansai didn’t think it was necessary, because her feelings were blasting loud and clear like a neon signboard.

“Senpai…”

“Like I said, he’s going through something really big right now. You’ve worked in this shop for what, two years? You should know by now what his other job is.”

“O-of course I do!! He’s also busy with his own research, curates tea for other tea shop customers for a fee…are you implying that the woman could be part of this job?”

“….I don’t know. But it could be.” Bansai suddenly realised that it was futile to tell Matako that the woman was also a customer whom Shinsuke had been supplying curated tea for the past two years. It would just upset her if she were to find out they’ve known each other for awhile. Bansai also knew, that Shinsuke had indeed been paying this woman far more attention, especially in recent weeks.

“Then he’s happy on some days and gloomy on some days because of her…”

“Matako.”

She stopped rambling as he called out her name sternly. “Why did you fall in love with him?” He asked.

“I – I… There’s just no one else but him.” She replied, asserting a little force at the end of her sentence.

“No one?” He was staring at her now. But she still couldn’t see his eyes behind those sunglasses.

“Of course there’s no one else! It has always just been Shinsuke-sama!" 

“That’s not an answer. If he doesn’t exist, if the world’s left with other men – then it didn’t have to be him. It wouldn’t be him.”

“That’s true.” Matako fumbled her apron with her fingers, twisting them in one way and the other. “But it’s useless to talk about that now. Because Shinsuke-sama does exist! And I like him because he’s a kind person. He’s smart, and brave, and cool…”

Bansai had heard it all before. Each time when it comes to Shinsuke’s qualities, Matako would repeat the same things to him every time, each time. _He’s handsome, he’s cool, he’s kind, he’s strong, sexy, smart,_ he knew all of it. He didn’t know why they had to go through this again. On one hand, he didn’t mind listening to her, if only it would make her feel better, less anxious. But on the other hand, he was just getting a little tired.

“He called in earlier. Said he’s going to Tokyo tomorrow,” he told her.

She widened her eyes in surprise. “W-what? Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“He called ten minutes before you came in today. I forgot about it. I’m telling you now.”

“Why… is he going to Tokyo..?”

“He didn’t say. But I suppose it’s the usual.”

“It’s not the usual.” She said, anxiety tinging in her voice. “He only goes to Tokyo once every three months if he absolutely has to, otherwise only twice a year. He’s already making two trips within a month!”

Bansai knew she would react like this. He felt a pang of mild regret for breaking the news to her so soon, but then he thought, the earlier he told her, the better it would be. He couldn’t really hide it, anyway. 

“What do I do? What do I do? What if there’s really a woman? Hey, senpai. Senpai, are you listening to me?”

By this time, he wasn’t really listening to what she was saying. Her rambling voice flew around him like the DJ narration from a radio. Boring, but not altogether unbearable.

“Ahh. The sun’s coming out.” He said suddenly.

While they were talking, the rain had stopped. Sparse drops of rain rolled and fell down slowly from the edges of roof shingles. Heavy, grey clouds were shifting in the sky, slowly making way for the patch of light blue and sunrays to peek through. For just a moment, she stopped rambling, and cast an upward glance towards the window, where she caught the faintest of rainbow sitting among the clouds.

 

 

* * *

 

 

It was early in the morning when Sakata Gintoki woke up lying on his back, with the calls of seagulls and the sounds of waves smacking the sandy beach coming through his window. There were many things he had been thinking about, but this morning, as the rays of the sun crept through the blinds into his room, his mind drifted to his current circumstance.

In late autumn, his agency had a job request from a VVIP in Tokyo. It had required him to travel to Nagoya to retrieve two boxes of items of unknown origins. It was a job with handsome pay, and seemed easy and low-risk – on the surface, anyway – to complete.

The client was a VVIP indeed – for it was the imperial princess herself, Tokugawa Soyo. “After you retrieve the boxes from the shop, bring the two boxes to this address,” she told him the first time they met in his cramped city apartment. He had looked at the address printed on a piece of card she pushed towards him on the little coffee table, and it was the location of a university campus.

“You could have easily arranged a transporter for this, no?” He asked her, with weary, lazy eyes.

“The shop does not accept payment by online transfer, cheques, or credit card.” She answered calmly. “They only accept cash in person, and they only open for an hour on Thursday nights. The opening time is subjected to change. And yes, I could get someone to fetch it for me, but they will be easily recognised as one of my people.”

“Oi, what kind of shop is this? Is this a smuggling ring? You’re not asking me to be a drug distributor, are you?”

“I wouldn’t ask you to forward them to a public university, otherwise.”

“True,” he replied, giving in. “But you need to tell me what’s in the boxes.”

“They contain alien seedlings from another planet.”

“What are you trying to grow? Money trees? Can I have some of the seeds as payment, too?”

“No.”

“You answered a little too quickly. You only came to me because you had no other options, right? How about it? I’ll give you another chance to answer it again.”

Right then, big man in white shirt and black suit complete with black sunglasses came up from behind the princess to him, flexing his muscles.

“Hey, give me a break. I was just joking.”

He had suspicions about the job, and instinctively knew it was much bigger than the few details relayed to him by the princess. But he had bills and wages to pay, food to put on the table, so he accepted the job, took the train to Nagoya, and settled temporarily at the beach house run by his old landlady, Otose’s friend. The beach house had a makeshift seafood stall attached to it, while it had plenty of business during the summer months, it now stood cold and mostly empty as winter loomed close.

Last night, the princess had requested to meet, so he walked to the family restaurant and waited. He arrived early; the imperial princess showed up on time. She was wearing a traditional flowery dark green kimono with delicate ornaments in her hair, and she walked in a pair of geta, flanked by two bodyguards in black suits. Gintoki could tell were different from the ones she brought to his apartment before. The bodyguards’ presence drew stares from other patrons in the restaurant, making him feel slightly uncomfortable. 

“What is it?” He asked Soyo after she sat down with a cold melon soda, served in a tall glass in front of her. “I will go and wait for the shop to open tomorrow night,” he assured her, “so don’t be too anxious. I will complete the job.”

“Your face was captured on security camera last weekend.” Princess Soyo informed him immediately, her face grim and serious.

Seeing Gintoki didn’t reply, she pressed on. “Why did you stand in front of the police security cameras, which I specifically told you to avoid?”

He stayed silent as he brought a finger to his nostril, slipped the finger in, and swept the cavity.

“You got filmed on purpose.” Soyo said in an accusatory tone.

“That’s right. I did.” He took out his finger from his nostril and flicked the snot away. “I’m sorry, but it’s for security purposes. What if I get killed tomorrow night? Who would investigate someone who mysteriously disappeared? If there’s no body found, it won’t be classified as murder. I need to leave my face recorded somewhere.”

“I suppose you’re right. Then again, someone like you won’t be killed that easily.”

“I suppose that’s right, too, Princess. But this isn’t really a simple job like you made it out to be, right? I’m not the only one who’s got their eyes on buying these alien seedlings.”

This time it was Soyo who stayed silent.

“Relax. They wouldn’t realise that I have not purchased the things you want. From the looks of things, they are probably thinking I already have them in the boxes I was carrying. So they would never think of going to the shop tomorrow night.”

“The police are not the only one who’s keeping an eye on you now. You have more things to worry about.” Soyo said after awhile.

“Oh it’s okay. I have a girlfriend in the police. I haven’t contacted her in awhile, though –”

“If you haven’t contacted her in awhile, you should really check up on your friendship to see if you can still call her a friend, much less a girlfriend.”

They turned their heads towards the voice approaching their table. A girl with long, navy, dark blue hair walked towards them, guns in her holsters and tall black boots up to her knees. She wore short, black vinyl hot pants, a white t-shirt and cropped black jacket. She slid into the seat next to Soyo, and gave her a slight nod. “Your Highness.”

Soyo smiled at her brightly. “Nobume,” she greeted.

Gintoki wasn’t amused. “Why are you here?” He asked Nobume. He turned to Soyo. “Oi, Princess, I thought you said you don’t want me to be discovered by the police, and yet there’s a policewoman here. Huh? Is this a set-up? You’re trying to frame me as a criminal?”

“I _am_ the police,” Nobume admitted. “But I’m also with the Princess. More specifically, I’m with the Special Public Security Unit. I’m not your enemy. You don’t have to worry about me. The people you need to be aware of, are the ones from the Narcotics and Firearms Investigation Unit. More specifically, Inspector Hijikata Toushirou’s unit, NFU 4.”

“Huh? Hijikata who? Hijikata To Shit Row? What kind of name is that? Oi, is this what you call police infighting? If you know who my enemy is, shouldn’t you give me some kind of protection? I’m just a common civilian!”

“Two years ago, a freelance detective agency was working on with the Organized Crime Unit, OCU 7 on a smuggling case involving alien contraband.” Nobume went on, ignoring his outburst. “A sting operation was carried out, but it went wrong. The incident resulted in the deaths of five police officers and one civilian. The contraband goods perished, and the leader of the organization fled. The case thereafter, went cold with no leads. You were the detective from that agency. And you left Tokyo after that. Initial investigations showed that you had ties with the leader of the organization, but subsequent findings revealed that no collusions between the two of you exist, and all charges were dropped.”

Gintoki took this all in with little reaction.

“Sakata-san,” Soyo began. “Did you agree to take this job because you knew it has ties to the case two years ago?”

 _Ahhh, this is so troublesome. Why are all of these people onto me so fast?_ “Hey, aren’t you giving me too much credit? I’m just a freelancer who’s trying to live day to day, okay?”

“Why did you leave?” Nobume went straight to the point.

“Is this an interrogation?”

“No. Just a normal chit-chat,” she replied, shrugging.

“So a man can’t go on a vacation? Hey, waitress, a strawberry parfait, please!”

“You mentioned you have a girlfriend in the police force.” Nobume pointed out.

“Did I?” he tried to feign innocence. “It was just a slip of tongue, haha.”

“Tsukuyo-senpai is no longer with the police.”

Gintoki froze, his expression grim.

“If you think you can disappear and come back from a two-year vacation, expecting that Tsukuyo-senpai will take you back, no questions asked, then you’re too full of yourself. A woman doesn’t have forever to wait for a man. She’s not an unassuming, all-giving lover who lives for any man’s affection. She can love and protect a family, a whole country. She’s a human being with feelings. She too, needs to be protected and cherished. "

She was calm, and soft-spoken, but her words were quick, sharp, and piercing.

“Nobume…” Soyo placed a hand on Nobume’s arm, as if to afraid that she would pull out her guns from her holsters and point them at Gintoki that very moment. But Nobume would do no such thing. She's a highly trained combatant with an even higher level of fixed composure.

He said nothing. He knew that everything she said was right. Part of him wanted to explain to this girl sitting in front of him, who’s at least 10 years his junior, that that wasn’t how it was between him and Tsukuyo. That he did not intend to leave her. But everything he had tried to put into words, seem like one lame excuse after another now. Too many years have passed. He made a choice two years ago. He just didn’t expect that for the past two years, Tsukuyo had not once left his mind. He just didn’t think it would be that hard. So he sat there, stoic like a statue, staring at this young police girl in the most deadpan expression he could put on.

“Everything shall be decided tomorrow.” Nobume declared, changing the topic as if nothing had happened. “You look like you would be going to the mission alone. What happened to your two protégés?”

“They’re grown kids with their own families and personal affairs to look after. I’m not their keeper.”

“Fair enough. Just an advanced warning. Hijikata’s unit, unfortunately, is somewhat of a puppet unit largely controlled by the Foreign Minister. He and I disagree fiercely on that front. But no matter. Our unit is investigating the minister’s involvement in the case, and there is a chance that tomorrow we can expect a raid from them. Whatever happens after that, I hope you can give us your full co-operation.”

“My agreement stated that the job will be completed once I sent the boxes to the university.”

“Indeed. But I know for a fact that you will re-negotiate terms of payment just before that happens. Am I wrong?”

Gintoki let out a forced smile. “Ah, I really do dislike the police, after all.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The day his train was due to arrive, Tsukuyo left the office thirty minutes before lunch. She checked her phone for any last minute messages, packed the bento she made, and included a ziplocked bag of sliced persimmons into a drawstring bag. She smiled to herself. _I hope he likes the bento._ She had spent a week perfecting her bento skills, carving sausage octopuses, making the perfect eggrolls, and mini capsicum rolls stuffed with crab meat. He had told her, shyly, in one of their video conversations that his favourite drink was the low-sugar milk beverage yakult, so she had set about looking up recipes and trying to incorporate it into a dipping sauce for his taste.

“Big Sis Tsukuyo had never been so attentive making bento for me,” Seita grumbled to his mother, Hinowa. They had been peeking at her from the kitchen doorway as Tsukuyo packed her food carefully into a plastic container.

“Aah! I spilled the rice!!” She cried suddenly, looking around frantically for a cloth to wipe it up.

After clearing the mess, she looked around her working space. “Now where are the sesame seeds?”

“I haven’t seen her actually making bento with such concentration, either,” Hinowa said in a small, hushed voice with a small giggle. “The last time she tried to make a meal for that guy, she just chucked noodles in a bowl and soaked it with sake.”

“You mean that silver-haired guy?”

Hinowa nodded. “This new one must be a really special guy.”

“She had been very careful about not getting drunk since the first night they met, too.”

“That girl deserves to be happy.” Hinowa said with a smile.

Walking briskly to the station, Tsukuyo looked up at the grey, cloudy skies. “Ah,” she cried out, looking into her tote bag. “I only brought one umbrella. I should text him first.”

 _Did you bring an umbrella? It looks like it’s going to rain. Should I buy you one?_ And she hit the send button.

She received a reply almost immediately. _You didn’t bring yours? I’ll just share one with you._

Her face blushed pink at that moment. _Holy crap, Tsukuyo. Why are you acting like a stupid high school girl? It’s just an umbrella!_ She berated herself. Then she straightened her posture, and continued walking towards the station.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Shinsuke wondered if he had packed enough clothing for his trip. He did not know when he would return, and had instructed Bansai not to follow him.

“You probably need a bodyguard,” Bansai joked when he had told him everything he had discovered about the seedlings so far. Bansai had visited him the evening before, after closing shop, to take his house keys, so he could help him with house-sitting during the nights he would be away.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m a pretty good fighter.”

“You are.” Bansai agreed. “But imagine this. You’re fighting some bad guys. Three, four, maybe five of them. Then the sixth one jumps out. He goes for your woman. You rush in to protect her. And then!” He struck a sword-holding pose. “You are vulnerable to attack. You could need me.”

Shinsuke simply stared at him with an uninterested look on his face. “Just take care of the shop.” He went back to packing his clothes into his suitcase.

“I’ll also take care of Matako.”

“You always have.”

“I always have.”

“Those Bacc Number concert tickets. Don’t lie to her about me giving them to you. You spent an afternoon queueing up for them.”

“Nah. I’m not the one she likes.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” Shinsuke walked up to him, and whacked his chest with a rolled-up pamphlet. Bansai caught the pamphlet with both hands to his chest. “I have warned you. I don’t want to come back to a mess.” Shinsuke told him.

“Are you guys already together?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You and the woman you’re going to see.”

Shinsuke stepped back, walked to his bed and sat down on the edge. “No. We aren’t together. Yet.”

“You only met her in person a few weeks ago. I’ve never seen you like this." 

He threw his head back and laughed. “I haven’t seen _me_ like this, Bansai.”

“What about Matako?”

Shinsuke stood up. “Isn’t that your problem? Fix it.”

In a glass perspex case which he carefully slid into a cardboard box, were a row of seedlings that had germinated over the course of four weeks of study. He put a lid on the box, and tied it to the top of his small, strolling luggage.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Sitting comfortably in the train bound for Tokyo, he checked the time on his phone. The train will arrive any minute. His heart felt excited, but also heavy at the same time. In his backpack were two vacuumed-sealed packs of tea Tsukuyo had ordered from his shop.

Kondou had informed him, out of concern, that the results from the lab have been released, and now Hijikata’s unit is seeking to repossess the germinated seedlings for further investigation. Shinsuke himself knew time was running out.

So when he was packing up half the seedlings to head for Tokyo, he called Kamui to pick up the other half for safekeeping in his nursery. Kamui wasted no time. Within an hour, he had a team of men driving up his street under the guise of picking up recyclable trash. Shinsuke, playing the part, threw bits of cardboard boxes and unwanted newspapers into a push trolley, hiding the remaining seedlings in them. He stacked them outside the house, and went back inside waiting for Kamui’s team to pick them up.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Yamazaki and Hijikata had parked their car some distance away from the house. From their binoculars, they saw an old woman next door dragging out her trash bags. Takasugi Shinsuke then walked out with a trolley and boxes of similar white-coloured plastic bags filled with trash. He parked the trolley to the side of the gate, and they saw him walking back into his house. Nothing was suspicious about his movements, so they waited and waited. When the trash truck came, it had started to drizzle.

Yamazaki popped his head back into the car and wiped his binoculars. “Another day of inactivity.”

Hijikata kept his eyes on the house, and lighted a new cigarette. “Observe him a little bit more. That damn judge wouldn’t issue a warrant unless there’s reasonable ground to believe he had committed a crime.”

“But what about the Foreign Minister?”

“That Foreign Minister is a hack. We’re not supposed to be working for him in the first place. The judge is sick of him, I’m sick of him, I’m sick of this.”

“Hmm, I wonder why the truck didn’t pick up the trash from the old woman’s house?” Yamazaki noted casually, straining his eyes through the binoculars.

Hijikata sat up, grabbed the binoculars from him, and trained it towards the street in front of Shinsuke’s house. It was then the realisation hit him. The entire trolley that he pushed out earlier was gone. “ _SHIT_!”

He pushed the door open with great force, leaped out of the car, and started running towards the house with Yamazaki chasing after him, the drizzling rain came like soft shower on their long, dark coats. “What is it, Inspector?”

When they got to the front of the house, breathing heavily, Hijikata peered through the windows. No one was home. Shinsuke was gone. He had left using the back door. Hijikata grabbed the cigarette out of his mouth and threw it on the ground, frustrated.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Shinsuke took out his notebook from his backpack, and flipped to the latest page.

 

「HYPOTHESIS: The seed, 402A, is an extant variant of the now extinct plant, SOL402X of Exoplanet  

                             Draconis.

   INVESTIGATIONS: [AS FOLLOWS]  
   PROCEDURES: [AS FOLLOWS]

   PREDICTIONS: If the hypothesis is correct, then 402A should possess qualities of SOL402X; notably,

                             the capability of reviving dead organisms, including humans.」

 

 

He stared at it awhile, then put his notebook away, brows furrowing. It was no surprise that they’re looking to have their hands on the seedlings, and the remaining seeds in his possession. When he asked Kondou about the origins of the seeds, he had simply told him that he exchanged some six packets of the common papaya for some wild banana seeds. Shinsuke couldn’t think of anyone going through the extra trouble to seed bananas these days, but it turned out there had been a mix-up of the purchase at some seedy shop in Kabukicho.

As the train pulled to a stop, he collected his belongings and stepped off onto the platform. After passing the gates, he saw her in the distance with a smallish bag hugged to her chest. He smiled as he made his way to her, heart thumping.

“Thank you for coming all the way.” He said as they finally stood face to face.

“Not a problem. Have you eaten?”

“If you mean lunch, no, I haven’t…”

“I made some bento…that is, if you’d like to have it..” She tentatively held out the bag in her hands, a bit shyly.

He smiled at her warmly. “I’d love to. I bet they’re delicious. Let’s find a place to enjoy them.”

They walked towards the entrance, making small, giggly chit-chats. _How’s work at the tea shop? Ah, it’s been a handful. I told you about my staff, right? Bansai and Matako. They’ve been giving me a lot of headaches. They sound like really sweet people, though. I’d like to meet them some day. Ah, I’ll introduce them to you if you come to Nagoya. How’s the security office? Oh it’s been quite well. We received quite a number of jobs the past week. Really? That’s good. Tell me about it._

“Ah. It’s raining.” Tsukuyo remarked, as they stopped in front of the entrance. She pulled out her folded umbrella from her tote bag, and pressed the button on the handle. It opened with a whooshing sound.

“Let’s go.” Shinsuke took over the umbrella from her hand by handle, and wish a slide nudge from his chest to the back of her shoulders, they started walking out into the rain under her small, purple umbrella. He positioned himself so Tsukuyo ~~is~~ was completely covered by the umbrella, and walked on the outerside of the sidewalk. Blushing a little behind her ears, Tsukuyo took note of this small gentlemanly gesture. The two were the same height, but he made sure the umbrella was well above her head so she didn’t get bonked.

“I’ve booked a room to stay at the hotel for a few days, it’s just around the corner,” he said.

“I thought you’ll be staying at my place. Isn’t that expensive?”

Shinsuke shook his head. “I can’t get you and your family involved. People are looking for me. I’ll tell you everything once I checked-in.”

 

* * *

  

When they had settled down in his room, she started unpacking the lunch boxes. After giving one to him, he smiled, thanked her and cracked open the cover.

“It’s…deko-ben,” he said softly, staring at the cute and glistening mini food items she had made. The rice was cushioned under the items and specks of sesame seed and nori flakes could be seen dotting the surface. The fragrance of sweet vinegar and soy wafted to his nostrils, and he felt his heartstrings tightened. He took a glance at her right then, and she was blushing profusely.

“Ah, I’m sorry if it’s too childish.”

“No it isn’t. It’s beautiful.” He lifted a toothpicked tako sausage and popped it into his mouth. He smiled as he chewed it up. “It’s – tasty.” Indeed, it had been awhile since he had tasted such good tako-sausage. He had never had deko-ben. Thinking back to his childhood, no one had ever made it for him. Not his mother, not any girls at school. Sure, he was popular, but the girls who wanted his attention were the types who loved to go shopping. Not that it was a bad thing, but he came from a poor family, and he was bad at fashion. The girls had also loved frequenting karaoke boxes, and he had always rejected their invitations, because again, he was poor, and he was bad at singing. He did not feel belonged with them. He did watch a little bit of anime, though…

Before he had realised it, he had gone through the entire box of lunch. Tsukuyo was staring at him intently. “A-are you okay? Why are you crying?”

He wiped a tear with the back of his hand, put the container down on the coffee table, munching and trying to swallow the remainder of food in his mouth. “It’s – it’s the most delicious lunch I’ve ever had. I’m sorry. I told you before. Men are the more emotional sex.”

That line seem to make her laugh. “I’m sure… you’re the only man acting this way,” she said gently. He thought maybe he was mistaken, but there was a cloud of darkness that came over her eyes, as if there was something haunting her from the past, which he still didn’t know much about. As soon as the clouds came over her eyes, they disappeared.

They were sitting next to each other on the couch, and she seemed happy that he had finished everything. “You eat so fast, I haven’t even started.” She slowly poked a fork into an eggroll.

Watching her carefully, he was overcome with emotion. So he leaned in towards her lips, and closing his eyes, gave her a soft kiss. She could smell the taste of tako-sausage, and saw a bit of sesame seed on the edge of his mouth. Instinctively, she stuck out her tongue to lick it away. His eyes opened in surprise, and she was smiling.

 

* * *

 


	6. The Both of Us Were Hurt By An Asshole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about Tsukuyo, Shinsuke and Gintoki's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a terrible chapter. I tried, ok. I tried my best. I'm sorry about the title. I can't think of anything. I couldn't have Tsukuyo and Shinsuke meet in the past (because of Chapter 2). I played myself. So I came up with this lame crap. I'm sorry ok. I'm sorry.
> 
> And I know I've repeated this many times, but again, I just wanted to get this dumb plot over with. I didn't get this beta-ed. I just wanted to publish. My fault, ok. Everything is my fault.

_Every single person retains possessions they're unwilling to part with_  
In order to protect them to the end, fighting for them is our instinct  
  
As for me, I've continued deceiving you for who knows how many years?  
  
Don't wanna lie, don't wanna lie — I want to feel I'm alive  
I wanna try I wanna try — Let's try spurring my heart with an encouraging whip  
The moment that'll change tomorrow — it might be now  
  
Without having decided what I would be willing to sacrifice,  
how much wisdom and bravery have I got in me?  
  
The things I have to tell you — I haven't forgotten about them

 

–––––––

3 YEARS AGO

–––––––

 

 

 

**_July 11, 1.26 P.M._ **

 

It was a hot July afternoon. Tokyo had just recorded a searing temperature of 44 degrees Celsius. From the broken windows on the higher floors of a high-rise building, puffs of angry, thick grey smoke were surging towards the cloudless, blue sky. Below, two fire engines and an ambulance were stationed in front of the lobby entrance. Three more police cars and a heavily equipped black van surrounded the already crowded street. All emergency lights on the vehicles were flashing.

Tsukuyo undid the top button on her white shirt and fanned her sweaty neck with her small notepad.

She looked around her. Several members of her team were taking witness statements from the dust-covered office workers who evacuated the building, while the others were talking to soot-faced firemen who emerged with evacuees from the building.

“There was this young white haired guy with a flame thrower kind of thing,” one guy in ash-covered shirt said loudly to Nobume as he sat on a stool next to the ambulance, getting his bleeding knee treated by a nurse. “Or maybe his hair was kind of silver? Anyway, I bet he’s the one who started the fire. Intentionally or accidentally, you guys would have to investigate that!”

“He’s from Pest Control,” the girl standing next to him, presumably a colleague, added. “It’s the first time we engaged his services because he was a bit cheaper than the rest.”

“Come to think of it, who the hell gets rid of termites using a flame thrower?”

Tsukuyo’s irritation grew. They had been keeping watch on this building for three days. An organized crime gang was transporting illicit pharmaceutical drugs from this building, on the floor just above the fire floor. Her team was waiting for the right moment to call in the rest of the raid platoons and swarm the floor. Two hours before the supposed raid was to take place, the fire happened.

“Can we go in yet?” She asked the leader of the fire rescue team.

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Inspector. Fire rescue operations have not been completed. My men are still up there. They will radio over to say when it’s safe to go in.” 

“Okay, thank you.”

After deciding that the situation was not going to change any time soon, Tsukuyo reluctantly walked towards the entrance of lobby of the building to get away from the heat. Her team slowly regrouped around her, their skin and hair hot and clammy from the scorching temperature.

“Every floor had been evacuated, so it’s likely they got away.” Nobume said cooly. She pulled out a black elastic from her breast pocket and started to tie her straight, long navy hair.

“The drugs are definitely still up there, however.” Tama, a teal-haired officer reminded them. Tsukuyo stared at her, and suddenly kicked herself for not thinking of it earlier.

“Can you go up and check for clearance?” Tsukuyo asked her.

“I have to receive clearance to do that.”

“Hey, Fire Chief!!” Tsukuyo yelled towards the direction of the fire engines.

   

* * *

****

**_1.48 P.M._ **

 

“Officer, please do not engage use of firearms while the fire has not been put out!” A male voice cracked over the radio.

The metal door was blast open. Tama slipped her Glock 48 back into her holster. “Understood.” She adjusted the transceiver clip on her shoulder, and walked into the room. “Inspector, I’m now in the drug vault.”

“Please report the situation.” This time it was Tsukuyo’s voice that came through the radio.

Smoke pervaded every nook and cranny in the room. It was hard to see for Tama, even with her infrared sensors activated. “Smoke is everywhere,” she said matter-of-factly, as she whipped out a large, round white fan. She ran her fingers over the wire and plugged the end into a tiny socket in her rib.

“Deploying smoke clearance system.” The fan came to life with a whirr, blowing gusts of air ahead of her and effectively dispelled most of the smog through the ventilators in the ceiling.

“Commencing search for items of interest.” She advanced forward, cautiously, her red, flickering eyes scanning the room and each object in it. They soon lay upon a row of eight metal trunks under a massive, white table; all fastened down with numbered locks, and labelled with QR-coded neon yellow stickers. Running a thumb over the stickers, she scanned the codes printed on them.

“Probable wanted articles found. Initiating access to confirm.” She quickly folded the fan she was holding, unplugged it from her rib and put it back into her chest. She then pulled out an elongated crowbar tucked in a compartment from her robotic elbow. Sliding one end into one of the trucks, she cranked the top open with enormous force. The cover crashed to the floor, revealing bags and bags of pills in hard-shelled blue capsules. She snapped photos with her eyes as she scanned the contents. “Sending data over.”

“Excellent work.” Tsukuyo’s radio voice crackled after a moment’s pause. “Please confirm clearance of vault.”

 

* * *

****

**_1.48 P.M._ **

 

Bansai threw the stack of cards in a huff. They flew, hit the windshield, and settled onto the dusty, black dashboard. “Shinsuke.” he prodded, a bit sulkily.

Shinsuke, sitting in the passenger seat next to him, was listening, but did not answer. He looked at his phone again, checking for the time.

“Shinsuke, why do I suck at blending teas?” He plopped his head onto the top of the steering wheel.

“Take a course. They teach that kind of thing.”

“No one liked my garlic and matcha blend. They go, ‘Ew! How could you mix those two together? Are you crazy?’ You know that kind of comment really hurt my feelings. They don’t understand.”

Shinsuke rolled his eyes slowly in his sockets from right to left, before peering out of the car window. “Bansai, matcha is just matcha.”

And then Bansai felt the familiar vibration in his pocket, so he reached in a hand and fished out his phone with a thumb and index finger. It was as if he felt it was a dirty thing he just picked up from the W.C. He stared at the number flashing on it, before putting it back into his pocket again.

“Why aren’t you answering it?” Shinsuke asked him, after quietly observing all of his actions.

“No reason.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll get fired by Monday if this keeps up.”

“Why don’t you just follow the list your boss gave you? Who the hell would accept garlic and matcha as a valid blend? It’s disgusting.”

“Shinsuke, I will forgive you for that comment. And I know we’re talking about me, but that guy is taking too long.”

Shinsuke was already swiping his phone. “I knew it,” he said, staring at the screen where an image with blue, red and white dots came into view. “That Gintoki is stuck. He’s in trouble.” He swiped the phone interface it to call mode.

  

* * *

 

**_1.50 P.M._ **

 

A loud, ringing melody was heard from under the table.

Tama immediately dropped to her knees, craned her neck and looked under the table. Behind the metal trunks, crouched a guy with silverish white hair. He smiled awkwardly at her, showing rows of white teeth. In his right hand he held a phone – source of the ringing.

Tama fixed her stare on the man intently, the lens in her pupils of her red eyes dilating. “Suspicious person…found.”

And so that was how Tama found, and subsequently hauled a reluctant Gintoki out of the building by the shirt collar into the hot afternoon air, his heels dragging the concrete. All the while, he was cursing all the way under his breath.

“Takasugi, you bastard…”

  

* * *

****

**_1.57 P.M._ **

 

Minutes passed. The ringing on Gintoki’s end went unanswered. 

An abrupt loud banging was heard from the back of the car. Both of them turned behind and saw Kamui, his single plait of red, vermillion hair gleaming in the bright, hot sun. Bansai released the locks, and Kamui yanked open the door, jumped in and slammed the door shut.

“I got the formula back.” He patted his breast pocket. “Where are the plants?”

“The idiot is still stuck up there.” Bansai said, pointing an index finger towards the roof of the car.

“He’s already caught. By a police android.” Shinsuke stated darkly. “If only it were a human cop, I’d say he would have a pretty good chance of beating them up and getting away already.”

“I can have a go at the android,” Kamui said enthusiastically.

“It’s pointless. We don’t have the plants,” Shinsuke replied.

Bansai started the car. “We can’t hang around too long here. That guy will be fine.”

“Bansai, wait.”

“I can’t wait, Shinsuke! I have a shift at 2 P.M.!!” Bansai cried as he reversed the car sharply out of the alley.

 

* * *

 

**_2.11 P.M._ **

****

When Tama cuffed Gintoki, whom she brought down and made him sit at the back of the police car, Tsukuyo’s phone buzzed in her back pocket. She ignored it while walking towards them, and the ringing eventually stopped. But when it started buzzing a second time, she took out her phone and looked at the screen. She decided to take the call. 

“Hinowa, what’s the matter?” She placed a finger on her tragus, and pressed it to block out the surrounding noise in her environment. Her walking came to a halt. “Huh?... new tea supplier… that’s…I don’t know any… Hinowa, I’m in the middle of a case. …Okay. Okay. _Okay!_ I get it. Okay.”

 

* * *

****

**_2.12 P.M._ **

 

“Shinsuke,” Bansai whispered urgently from the cashier counter. “Shinsuke.”

They have made it back to the tea and coffee shop Bansai was working at, with Shinsuke and Kamui hurriedly taking up a booth to check out the research data they have just acquired. Shinsuke was still trying to call Gintoki.

Shinsuke looked up from his seat at the booth. “What? Why are you whispering?”

“The ordering system is down,” Bansai said in his normal voice. “I have to restore it back online in the office before my boss comes back. Please help me answer the calls, if any.”

“You—” Shinsuke inhaled, then exhaled slowly. “I’m not your employee.”

“Yo, don’t be like that. I followed you around all morning! Yo.”

“He’s right, don’t be so cold, senpai.” Kamui chided with a chuckle.

Shinsuke sighed. “Fine.”

“Thanks,” Bansai clasped his hands together in front of his face and made a slight bow, before quickly making his exit into another door behind the counter.

 

* * * 

 

**_2.14 P.M._ **

 

“Who’s that?” 

Nobume, who was standing and leaning against the car door, and slurping on iced tea, turned to the voice. She cast a glance at the cuffed Gintoki who was sitting inside the car, and followed his gaze at Tsukuyo, then turned towards him again. She sized him up and down with a cool expression.

“That’s our Inspector. What, are you interested in her already?” Before Gintoki could answer, she slammed a palm onto the roof, sending a shock that jolted him in his seat. “Huh? You pervert. Were you looking at her boobs?”

His ears were bright red, but Nobume couldn’t tell if it was from the heat or embarrassment. “I wasn’t!” He protested. “Anyway, I’m innocent, why are you putting me in cuffs? This is a violation of my rights!”

“Nobume!” 

Nobume whipped her head around as Tsukuyo called her name. “Coming!” Turning to Tama, she flipped a thumb and said, “Keep an eye on him. This pervert.”

  

* * *

****

**_2.16 P.M._ **

 

Tsukuyo eyed the cup of ice tea Nobume was holding carefully. “This,” she said, pointing to it with her finger.

“Yes, it’s good. Care for a sip?” Even though she offered it verbally, Nobume continued sipping on her drink, and made no indication she was willing to actually give the drink to Tsukuyo. Tsukuyo watched the water level decreasing rapidly.

“No, uhh. I want to look at the shop’s contact info printed on the cup.” Tsukuyo started scratching the back of her neck.

Nobume stopped sipping. She brought the cup to an angle, and trailed her eyes to the text printed near the bottom of the cup. Immediately, she rattled off the numbers. “Zero three two two one seven –”

“Wai-wait! Hang on!!” Frantically, Tsukuyo pressed the numbers on her phone.

   

* * *

 

**_2.17 P.M._ **

 

Shinsuke sat with his arms crossed, staring at the pile of papers spread in front of him. “None of the pages are missing,” he announced.

“Isn't that good news?” Kamui was chewing on his straw.

"Yes. That's a relief."

 

Right then, the phone Bansai had left at the counter started ringing to the tune of _A Happy Ending_ by Ohtaki Eiichi, surprising both of them with a slight jump.

“What a cheesy song,” Kamui remarked.

Shinsuke got up reluctantly, and picked the phone off the counter. “Hello?” He paused, listening to the other end. “Yes. Yes. Actually,” He hesitated, as if trying to get out of the situation. “I don’t work – I’m just helping – sorry. Please call back.” He hung up.

Kamui stared into Shinsuke’s back from the booth, a little shocked at his handling of the brief phone conversation. “What’s wrong?” He asked Shinsuke.

Shinsuke went back to his seat, ignoring his question, his ears red. _I’m not rattled. What the hell was that voice? I’m not in grade school. Over a damn voice? No way._

“Oi, senpai.” Kamui tapped on the table. “Hello, anyone home?”

  

* * *

 

**_2.20 P.M._ **

 

 _What…_ Tsukuyo looked at her phone, incredulous. _Is this guy really running a business?_ She looked at her watch. From afar, she could make out Tama and the guy that she brought down were arguing in the car. The android was now whacking the guy with a broom. _Well, I just have to call back like he said._ Sighing, she tapped the redial button on her phone.

 

* * *

  

**_2.20 P.M._ **

 

For the second time that day, Bansai’s phone rang again to the tune of _A Happy Ending._ Shinsuke immediately got up to answer it.

“Hello. Yes. Sorry for my rudeness a moment ago.” He paused. “Yes. Yes, I work here. No, I said yes. Yes. Of course. We do.” More listening. “Yes.” More pausing. “Yes, sorry. I’m still here. Please send your address to this number. I’ll arrange for a quote and call you on another phone. Thank you.”

When he finally got back to his seat after a lengthier conversation this time around, Kamui was eyeing him suspiciously.

“‘ _Call you on another phone’?_ ” Kamui mimicked in a high-pitched voice. “Why? Isn’t that Bansai’s customer?”

Shinsuke did not reply. Instead, he took out his phone and copied the number off Bansai’s phone in front of him.

“I’m helping him,” he said simply, tapping on his phone quickly.

 

「Create New Contact 」– S-E-X-Y V-O-I-C-E

 

Kamui leaned to the front, trying to see what Shinsuke was typing on his phone. Shinsuke brought the phone up to his face, still typing.

 

-H-I-N-O-

 

“Why are you acting so strange all of a sudden?” 

“I don’t know myself. I don’t know. Stop asking me.”

 

-Y-A—「 Save Contact」

 

 

* * * 

 

**_2.25 P.M._ **

 

When Tsukuyo finally hung up the phone and walked over to the police car, Tama had stopped whacking Gintoki with a broom and was sitting next to him, playing a game of cards.

“What’s going on here?” she asked Tama.

“While they are currently sweeping the floor and carrying the contraband down, I have scanned this guy’s prints and ID over the database.” Tama reported. “He’s the freelance private detective based in Kabukicho who had been providing us information about this case since April. I also took his witness statement.” With that, Tama immediately regurgitated a piece of A4 paper from a horizontal opening in her belt. She handed the paper to Tsukuyo, who thanked her and scanned the report.

“Yo, Inspector,” Gintoki began, squinting at the name tag above Tsukuyo’s breast pocket. “Inspector Tsukuyo. Those eyes are really dangerous. They’re piercing directly into my soul. How about I… pierce you with something even better that could make you yell out in pleasure?”

Tsukuyo gave him a dark, murderous look. “Sexual harassment of a female police officer, I see. Okay. How about I make you yell out in pain right now?” She placed her hand on the hilt of her weapon.

“No, wait." He put up both his cuffed hands in mock surrender. "I was just kidding –”

 

* * *

 

**_8 months later - March 20, 7.45 A.M._ **

 

The first thing he felt when sleep was slowly leaving him, was the cool morning air gently sweeping his bare skin. The slight damp coolness told him that he must have perspired throughout the night as he slept. As his eyes gradually opened, he heard it.

The doorbell to his apartment was ringing wildly. And it was getting louder. But Shinsuke could not muster the energy to get up from his bed. So he crumpled his half-opened eyes shut. _Go away, Gintoki._ His mind commanded the door.

Then the banging started. _Bam! Bam! Bam!_

“Takasugi, you bastard!!! Wake up!!!” An irritated, male voice was heard from the other side of the door.

 _You’re irritating, go away._ Shinsuke continued to talk to the door with his mind, pulling the comforters above his head to drown out the noise.

The doorbell rang again. _Ding dong! Ding dong!_

“Takasugi! I’ve been out here for fifteen minutes!! Open the door!!” _Bam! Bam! Bam!_ The banging were interspersed with ringing and angry shouting, and it went on for a minute or two before everything fell quiet.

A short moment passed. Just when he thought it was safe to pop his head out of the stuffy comforters for a bit of air, all of it were yanked off his body, exposing every inch of his nakedness. _Damn you, Gintoki…._

“Aurgh!!” The male voice screamed in a high-pitched tone at the foot of his bed. “Why are you nude-sleeping, you pervert!”

And so Shinsuke’s mood started to go downhill that morning. He had had a good night’s sleep. _Until twenty minutes ago_. He was quietly enjoying the cool morning breeze entering his room, caressing his youthful skin. _Until twenty minutes ago_. Until twenty minutes ago, he had not, in his entire life, had the experience of having his comforters dragged away in this humiliating manner from his sleeping, naked body. His eyes now wide open, he sat up quickly, burning his pupils at the figure with a mob of silverish hair.

“Did you finally lay a woman last night?” The figure with a mob of silverish hair asked, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his lips. “Is that why you’re sleeping naked, huh? You twenty eight year-old virgin? So your ‘V’ popped last night, right? Wow, look at that messy hair! Oi, did you have such a wild night? Or was it your natural bedhead hair?” He stopped and surveyed the floors of the room. “….Hey, I don’t see any used rubber lying around! Are you serious? You did it raw? You’re going to be in deep trouble nine months later, oi.”

“Gintoki…” Shinsuke hissed angrily.

Gintoki held the comforters in his arms like a bundle of newborn – one corner of the sheet almost touching the floor. He was now slightly unnerved. “Ok, ok. I’m sorr–”

Shinsuke lunged.

Gintoki yelped at the attack like a panic-stricken maiden, who had just wandered into the Garden of Ededn and seen something obscene. Both of them tumbled onto the wooden floor. Gintoki’s original voice recovered almost immediately. “You bastard!!”

“What the fuck are you doing, Gintoki?!!” Shinsuke growled, infuriated. He grabbed Gintoki by the shirt collar and shook him hard.

Gintoki gasped for air as he tried to free himself from Shinsuke’s hold, coughing desperately. “I’m choking! I’m choking!”

Shinsuke let go of his collar momentarily, and Gintoki, seeing the opportunity, tried to scramble to his feet. Quick as lightning, Shinsuke pulled him by the shirt and dragged him back down, throwing a punch at his face. Gintoki dodged and rolled to his side. Shinsuke swung his leg over Gintoki’s body and pinned him down, aiming for another punch.

“Auggh! Your dick is rubbing on my thigh!! Your dick is rubbing on my thigh!!!” Gintoki screamed.

Undeterred by Gintoki’s dramatic wails, Shinsuke threw his fist. It landed square on his upper right cheek. With more struggling, kicking and wrestling on the floor, and a couple more of angry grunts and immature, manchild insults, their fight soon came to an end.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Shinsuke, now fully dressed in grey t-shirt and jeans, slammed the cup of tea on the low table in front of Gintoki. “Tea,” he stated, unceremoniously. He then sat down on a bean chair with a plop, and glared at Gintoki with half-lidded eyes. If looks could kill, then Gintoki would be meeting his death as soon as the lions in Shinsuke’s eyes pounce.

Gintoki was now sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floor, sporting a fabric plaster on his chin. His right cheek had a noticeable red swell. Carefully picking up a hot, hard-boiled egg off a bowl on the table, he wrapped it taut with a terrycloth towel and rolled it on the swollen bump. He made a sucking sound through his teeth. “Is this how you thank a friend who woke you up out of the goodness of his heart, huh?” 

“You broke into my apartment. You picked a fight with me. I didn’t need you to wake me up. I have an alarm clock, and it sounds much better than you.”

“As I said!” Gintoki raised his voice. “Ahh, nevermind. Here. Look at this.” He reached into his bag next to him and whipped out a thin, B5-sized magazine onto the table. It slid towards Shinsuke’s direction with a small spin before stopping. Shinsuke cast an unwilling glance at it.

It was the picture of a female model in a skimpy bikini sitting and arching her back on a sports bike, her long legs spread across the cover, her ample bosom pointing towards the heavens.

 _SPRAY!_ The name of the issue in neon pink font screamed at Shinsuke. Blood rushed to his ears. He immediately got up from his seat and took a big stride towards a sitting Gintoki, hand balling into a fist.

“Wait! Wait!” Gintoki put up both his hands in defense, one hand still holding the towel and egg. He waved it at Shinsuke like a weapon. “Look at the model!! I mean look _behind_ the model!”

Shinsuke took a small step back, and picked the magazine off the table. He peered at the photo. The bike was parked at the side of a street, its background capturing several shop fronts, with the names of the shops blurred out. One brick wall with partial blue spray praint writing peeked out from the left shoulder of the model.

“—L402X.” He read it aloud. “T-R-N-M.”

“It’s the grass you researched in the use of the manufacturing of the death revival drug,” Gintoki started by saying.

“That’s SOL402X,” Shinsuke told him. “This isn’t the full text. It could be anything.”

“Hah?!” Gintoki’s face contorted into a caricature of disgust. He was visibly offended. “How many things out there have a suffix of -402X? Huh? McDonal402X? Toyotal402X? Starbucks402X?”

“Even if it’s SOL402X, what then? Even if ‘TRNM’ points to a specific address, what then?”

Silence.

“It could be a trap,” both of them said together at the same time.

“I know you want to go,” both of them said together again.

“Wrong. You don’t agree with my intentions in the first place.” Shinsuke reminded him.

“I still don’t. But we reached a consensus to end this.”

“Ah, that’s right. We did. Or did we? To fix a mess you think _I_ started.” Shinsuke threw the magazine back onto the table. It landed with a thwack.

Gintoki’s eyes fell into a squint. “Oi, are you getting dramatic now? Are you throwing a middle-school boy tantrum?”

“The clinical trials have not been completed when the formula for the drugs were stolen. Illicit manufacturing has occurred, and they’re being marketed as top tier recreational drug, more potent than existing ones out there. People have died. _My fault._ ” Shinsuke rattled off and then paused. “The drugs were all confiscated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police last year.”

“Do you remember you left me in the building?!" 

“I did not leave you. You got caught.” 

“I got caught looking for the plants!”

“You didn’t have the intention to bring them back to me, did you?” Shinsuke was now accusing him.

“No, I was going to give them to you! But the plants should be destroyed.”

“The Inter-Galactic Drug Policy Consortium has not banned the germination of the plants.”

“Who gives a shit about that? Don’t tell me you still intend to revive him.”

“I want the plants back. I am a botanist. My research is still a priority.” Shinsuke replied, without denying the accusation. “But you’re bringing this information to me here, in the hopes that we will destroy the drugs, the plants, the manufacturing formula together, and that would be the end of it. But that was not the consensus we reached, Gintoki.”

“Takasugi, you already know you could not bring a dead person back to life!” Gintoki was now raising his voice, and from where he was sitting, scowling up at Shinsuke.

“If such an option exists why should I deny it to the people I care about?”

“How many times do we have to go through this?! When are you going to stop being so pig-headed?”

“You don’t have the right to say that to me.”

There was a long, frustrated silence. Both men, fed up with the other, refused to look at each other in the eye.

“I want the plants back.” Shinsuke said again.

“Stop repeating that shit already, I heard you the first time.”

“Fine, if that’s what you’ll want, we’ll both go.” Shinsuke paced the room slowly, slipping his thumbs into his jeans’ front pockets. “You can have the drugs. In fact, I don’t care what you want from this.”

“Actually, I changed my mind.” Gintoki got up from his seat. “We’ll race against each other to see who will get to the place first and get their hands on the plants.”

Shinsuke glared at him. “Fine.”

  

 

* * *

 

 

**_March 29, 8.45 P.M._ **

 

They have been at the warehouse for 45 minutes. Tonight, they have reasonable proof to believe that a photosynthetic alien plant, SOL402X was being actively smuggled by an alien syndicate.

“You know why Hijikata is here,” Nobume remarked to Tsukuyo as they sat in the car, watching the warehouse about 100 metres from the gate. “He told the Chief Commander this should have been under the Narcotics Department’s jurisdiction.” 

“Probably pushed by the Foreign Minister to look into it,” Tsukuyo replied, dragging a puff from her cigarette. “I’m quite certain he’s the cabinet minister who is rumoured to be conspiring with the alien syndicate. But without proof, we can’t really nail him.”

“We’ll catch him eventually. Also, you shouldn’t smoke so much.” Nobume said, munching on a piece of pon de ring doughnut.

“I’m in perfect health.”

“Not talking about your health. It kills your taste.” She continued to talk as she ate.

“I’m pretty fine with it.”

“Bad for kissing.” Nobume looked at her intently, her cheek stuffed with doughnut bites.

“Not kissing anyone.”

“Really?” Nobume didn’t believe it. “Well, I’m glad to hear it. That Sakata Gintoki looked like he would be a pretty awful kisser.”

Tsukuyo didn’t reply. She kept her focus on the warehouse. This was a large one. Some ten to fifteen of them covered the area in the secluded part of the inland in Chiba. The large ones are filled with mostly large cargo containers. After years of police work, she knew almost all the warehouses in the prefecture like the back of her hand.

Nobume grabbed a bottle from the cup holder and chugged down a few gulps of water. She ran a finger through the blue navigation pane. A quick report came up on the screen. “Summary?” She asked nonchalantly. 

Tsukuyo put out the smoke in her slender cigarette holder. “If you want. We’ve gone through this in the briefing.”

“’SOL402X, now labeled by the Inter-Galactic Drug Policy Consortium as the highest level of alien contraband, Level 9, was homegrown on Exoplanet Draconis, and has the DNA properties to revive dead organisms, including human beings.’” Nobume read off the report.

“’It was pushed for illegal manufacturing into the a banned drug, with a half-life of over 300 days. Once a subject is revived, they will be able to live for an additional 300 days, or until the drug leaves the system. Preliminary reports shared by Interpol had warned that the raw plant was already undergoing active genetic engineering process to modify its properties to produce an immortality drug.’”

“I can’t believe such a thing exists.”

“Don’t people deserve to live forever?” Nobume asked innocently.

“Have you ever wondered why there are thousands of toxic plants that could kill, and yet this is the only one plant that offers eternal life? People wouldn’t appreciate life as much if such a thing exists.”

“Tama should answer that question.” 

Tsukuyo shrugged.

“Are you really transferring to Special Public Security?” She asked Nobume after a lingering silence.

“I’m thinking about it. They promised me a promotion after passing the Boards.”

“You’ll be terrific there.”

“We will no longer be in each other’s way.” Nobume said acidly.

Tsukuyo made a shifty-eye look at her. Nobume was the type of person who wouldn’t express her affections openly. _Don’t smoke too much. But it’s not like I care about your health. I’m leaving. It’s not like I’m going to miss our time together on the job._

Whenever the situation seemed to get a bit heavy or intense, Nobume would throw a caustic remark or two, feigning inconsideration, sometimes insensitivity. This, Tsukuyo knew very well. 

“Ah,” she agreed. “You’re absolutely right.”

“If we do need more reinforcements,” Nobume said, changing the subject, “I suggest we call Kondou’s Search Operatives unit.”

“The police dog and gorillas unit….” Tsukuyo’s voice trailed off. “The dogs are okay, but if he brings in the gorillas, they’d be onto the plants like weed.”

“I don't know, I think the gorillas may still be useful. I don’t usually say this, but I’m not very confident about tonight. Something feels off.”

 

 

* * *

****

**_9.15 P.M._ **

 

“Police have covered Gates 1 through 4,” Bansai said gloomily into the phone. He was standing on the roof of one of the warehouse buildings, and had fitted binocular lens into the glasses he was wearing. He zoomed in and out the lens using a shutter on the temple rim with the other hand, spying several unmarked cars parking near thick bushes and thickets. “No sign of Sakata Gintoki.”

“We have to figure out the containers where they hid the plants,” Kamui told Shinsuke as they quietly navigated the maze in the warehouse compound.

“Quickly identify them, grab and run.” Shinsuke said. Something had been bugging him. _There’s no way Gintoki isn’t here yet._

They stopped outside a door. The sound of feet shuffling quietly on rough concrete and low voices could be heard. Shinsuke gestured for Kamui to move to the opposite wall. When Kamui complied, it was then Shinsuke heard it.

“He does not know I’m alive?”

It was the voice of an older man. He had grown up listening to this voice – both he and Gintoki had - the familiarity pierced Shinsuke to the bone. He edged closer to the window sill to get a look at the owner of the voice.

“Just live out the rest of your life in the few hundred days given to you, old man. It would be better for him if he thought he had failed you.”

 _That’s Gintoki. What is he saying? What the hell is going on?_ Shinsuke thought anxiously. 

“Are you going to kill me again?”

 _What?_ Shinsuke felt his head spinning. His temples were throbbing, his heart pounding.

“I’m not going to go through that effort of sourcing 100 kilograms of shikimi to finish you off, you old bastard. That guy doesn’t know you have a death wish.”

“I hear that the parliament assembly may debate to sign euthanasia into law.”

“I don’t give a shit about that. Just give me the plants right now.”

 _Fuck you, Gintoki…_ Shinsuke was now edging towards the gap in the door. What he saw confirmed his suspicions. As the night drew darker, he could feel his blood boiling. He took another step towards the door, but was stopped by Kamui. He plugged an earphone into his ear.

“Shinsuke! Kamui! There’s smoke coming out from Entrance 2 of Warehouse 3, where are you guys at?” Bansai’s voice yelled frantically over the phone.

The explosion happened immediately after that single warning. The force blew all of them off their feet and sent them flying into the air. Kamui was thrown onto a heap of sandbags opposite the wall, where he landed on his back and rolled to the floor. He picked himself up from the ground, muscles hurting everywhere.

Shinsuke lay face down on concrete, motionless. Kamui staggered over to his side.

“Oi! Wake up!” Kamui shook Shinsuke by the shoulders. Copious amounts of blood were flowing from one eye. Kamui, gripped with panic, ripped off his sleeve and made a makeshift bandage for him. He was not sure whether to press on the injury because of the delicate nature of the organ. He decided not to.

Shinsuke was roused to consciousness from the pain. He gritted his teeth, and put a hand over his injured eye.

“It’s going to be okay,” Kamui said, comforting him. “Don’t, don’t touch it. We’re getting you to the hospital.”

“Gintoki—” Shinsuke gasped, his throat dry. He felt his tears coming, mixed in with blood and sweat.

A myriad of his flashbacks with Gintoki reeled in his head. Their childhood, growing up together, times spent together, and Gintoki’s lines burning into his mind. _He lied to me. He lied to me!_

  

 

* * *

****

****

**_9.30 P.M._ **

 

“Team four, team four.” Hijikata addressed into his radio as he sprinted into a chase towards a cloaked figure with long hair flying behind him. “Man, around 175cm, over the fence and running towards the main road at thirty seven, heading towards a car.”

“We’re going to intercept him,” came the response on the radio.

“Shit,” he cursed, as he stopped running and turned around to run back to the car. “Shouldn’t have gone on foot.”

“Hijikata is an idiot~~~” a bratty voice sang over the intercom.

“Shut the hell up, Sougo.”

“Hijikata can’t even run 200 metres~~~~idiot~~~~~”

“SHUT UP!” He yelled as he wrestled with the door of his car.

 

* * *

 

**_9.50 P.M._ **

  

“Inspector, no good.” Tama said as she came up behind her. Soot and ash covered her usually impeccably smooth, shiny robotic skin. She had emerged from the burnt out warehouse, with dirty gloves and a metal radar she was holding like a broom. “No evidence can be recovered. They are assumed to be destroyed.”

“Hijikata just radioed in,” Tsukuyo said, tucking her phone into her pocket. “His team lost the man, presumed to be the perpetrator of the fire and the leader of this syndicate. The Search Operatives team will arrive shortly. Run a report on any prints you can find on the scene.”

“Understood.” Tama turned around and retreated back into the area of the warehouse.

_Crack!_

She whipped her head around to the sound. It was him. 

“G-gintoki. Where did you go? I've been trying to call you. W-Why are you bleeding?”

 He looked at her with a sad expression on his face, craddling a blood-soaked arm. “I have to go.”

As soon as he had whispered those words, he leaped over the wall with great effort.

“Where? What happened? Hey!” She pushed herself towards the edge of he wall.

“I love you.” He said softly. With closed eyes, he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. “My bad, Tsukuyo. But please give up on me.”

_Please give up on me._

“Gintoki – wait!”

He turned back one last time and smiled. “You’re amazing. You can find out the full story on your own, right?”

With that, he slipped down the wall and ran off into the night. She reached out a hand to grab his shirt just before he did so, and could have caught him if she wanted, but she stopped herself in mid-air.

_Neither the destruction of a planet nor the birth of a star could stop a man who wants to leave._

She heard the soles of his shoes running on asphalt, and as the sound faded away, squeezing the night into a deafening, broken silence, she felt a piece of her heart cracking.

 

 

* * *

 

**_11.40 P.M._ **

 

That night, when Takasugi Shinsuke lay In the hospital with permanent damage to his left eye from a flying shrapnel, Tsukuyo was in the washroom of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, splashing her face repeatedly with ice cold water in the sink.

 

 

* * *

 


	7. The Only People Who Say Sex Doesn't Matter Are The Ones Who Aren't Having Any

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> xxx. That's the most important thing in this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want my Takasugi Shinsuke and Tsukuyo to get it on. So I got lazy and had everything resolved by Nobume. I love Nobume. She's amazing. She's so easy to write for some reason, I keep using her. Sorry for talking so much. Sorry for a terrible fic.

The rain outside had grown into a loud, rapid downpour. He scrunched up his fists as he sat there, white knuckles showing, trying to keep his story going. He had been talking for over an hour.

“I found out only later, that he killed our adoptive father – a director of the orphanage where we grew up. His reason was that the director wanted to die.”

“Was that the…assisted killing of Yoshida Shouyou?” She asked tentatively.

He nodded simply. “He was kept in in a vault under extreme sub-zero temperatures after his death. I wanted to revive him. But my friend, he – he disagreed with me. After the explosion at the warehouse two years ago, through the help of Bansai and Kamui, only did I find out that Shouyou had actually been revived. He was a willing test subject for the immortality drug. He had asked to be killed, and then revived. For the drug to work, one would have to first be killed via poisoning using the shikimi herb.”

Tsukuyo listened to all this quietly, part of her shocked, part of her sympathizing, and part of her suspicious about the ‘friend’ Shinsuke was referring to.

“My friend probably found out what he was after. He tried to stop me from reviving him – just let him stay dead. It was my fault that things went out of control.”

“No. You did not know. It wasn’t your fault,” Tsukuyo said firmly. “Your friend should have told you everything from the beginning.”

“He was probably trying to protect my feelings.”

“He hurt you, and lied to you. If protecting your feelings was his intention, it was counter-intuitive.” She was almost 100% sure now, who this _friend_ is. Even though she had stopped investigating the case soon after her resignation, her former position in law enforcement had provided her with second-hand information from her peers and other sources; piecing things together were easy for her as an experienced Inspector.

“I have half of the seedlings in my possession. The new variant of SOL402X.” Shinsuke said softly. “There are people after it. I have kept it safe for now. But I probably should burn it all.”

“My underclassman told me there would be a raid tomorrow, at a certain shop downtown.”

“You’re gonna go?” He raised his eyebrows.

She snorted, and then blushed at the slip of unladylikeness. “I’m just a business woman. I sell drones and security devices,” she said softly. _Why the hell am I being so self-conscious for!_ She reprimanded herself.

Shinsuke didn’t seem to notice the snort. “He will be there. My friend.”

 _To hell with your friend,_ Tsukuyo thought, anger building inside her guts. _Don’t even let me see his face again. If I do, I’m gonna—_

“Tokugawa Pharma is interested in the development of the immortality drug,” Shinsuke went on, cutting through her thoughts. “Their heir was recently reported to have passed away.”

Tsukuyo sat up. “You suspect they want to revive him?”

Shinsuke nodded. “I have to stop them.”

She put a hand on his arm. “No. It’s out of your hands now. If they go after you, you are not involved.”

“I’m surprised that you, of all people, an Inspector, would say that.” He chuckled.

“Who’s after you? Is it Hijikata?”

Shinsuke nodded again.

“Ignore him.”

“What?”

“Ignore him. He’s not all that competent. He was only made Inspector after I left the police – and after Kondou Isao resigned to get more involved with animal shelters. I heard that he’s trying his hands on a smoothie shop recently, though.. but I can’t confirm. Anyway, I don’t think Hijikata has even solved a single case in two years.”

He laughed at the revelation. Still, by the time Shinsuke had finished telling the side of his story, he was fighting to swallow a lump in his throat. He sat staring at the carpeted floor, with his hands together, elbows on his knees. Inexplicably, for the second time that morning, he felt the closed wound in his left eye throbbed in its socket.

“Before taking up on the research for the plants, I worked at that pharmaceutical corporation.” He said, quite certain that he was only repeating something she already knew, but he said it anyway, eyes still staring blankly ahead of him. “Tokugawa Pharma. I thought I could save people. I’m sorry, Tsukuyo. I’m not who you think I am. I’m not a harmless botanist guy who’s running a tea shop. My research has done more harm than good.”

She clawed through her mind to find the right thing to say. He was right. Two years ago she would have disagreed with him. _No, Shinsuke. We can’t dictate a person’s life. We can’t decide for them whether they should live or die._ That was what she would have told him. But she too, had wondered many times since then – what if she lost Hinowa? What if Hinowa lost her only child, Seita? People would want to save the people who are dear to them. They would want them to live.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. You just wanted the people you care about to live.” It wasn’t much, but it was the only thing she could think of to say.

“I wanted them to live _again_. But I was wrong.”

“It’s okay, you lived and you learned from your mistakes. It’s okay, Shinsuke. You still have your friends, and –” she stopped. “You still have me.”

The world, to him, had always been an enormous piece of dark, rainy grey. He had always hated it. The rain. He had lost everything. But maybe, he’s really finding someone again.

He looked up at her –her complexion now flushing a bright pink. “I don’t want you to give up on me.”

_I don’t want you to give up on me._

His words hit her like an anvil to the head. Before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around him. “I will never give up on you. You only have to ask me once.”

Surprised by how forward she was, he awkwardly returned her embrace, lightly placing his chin on her shoulder, and slowly breathed in her fragrance. It was when the gradual realization that her breasts were pressing against him that he started to blush bright pink himself. He didn’t really pay attention before, plus the fact that she had always been modest in her clothing – but the reality was sinking in for him right that moment. _She’s…huge._

“Will you consider going out with me?” He asked quickly. It was old-fashioned, it sounded dumb, and something out of a corny shoujo manga, but he felt an aching and a void in his heart that he knew only she could fill.

She pulled herself from him, and widened her eyes in astonishment. Something among the fibres in her being told her that he was different from the other guys, and he’s definitely different from _that_ one. She had never felt such a fervent need to be by someone’s side, not even _him._ Since the first day she had known Shinsuke, not even once had he made any inappropriate remarks towards her that caused her to feel he was simply another perverted pig. She was sure that he’s perverted inside, though, all men are – after all –but Shinsuke was different. He had anxiously planned to meet her today, telling her in advance of this trip more than a week ago, always considered her feelings, always making her feel better during their video calls, phone conversations, even texting – she’s better at choosing emojis now—and he had bared his soul to her. He tried to be honest with her about who he was. She had to give him points for effort.

Her lips slowly curled into a smile. For no reason at all, other than wishing to return his affections, she leaned in and gave him a light kiss on the lips. “Okay.”

“You will consider it?”

“I already have. Let’s do it.”

His lips parted slightly, confused. “…Let’s do it?” He had a slightly dazed look on his face. “Do.. what?” His gaze fell onto the piece of bed opposite the couch where they were sitting.

 _I knew it. I knew it. Men are perverts._ “Let’s go out!” She said loudly into his face. “You pervert!” She punched him lightly and playfully in the shoulder. “I’m not doing it with you!”

He smiled, a wicked glint in his eye. “I didn’t say I want to do _that._ What were you thinking, former Inspector? Do you want to inspect my body already?”

Her heart did a wild jump. But she steeled herself. “Okay, fine! I’m calling it off! I’m not going out with–”

He took her into his arms. And as soon as he closed his eyes, leaning over with his soft hair brushing her face, his tongue was in her mouth.

 

* * *

 

That day, Nobume sat on her chair with her feet up on her desk, shelling peanuts and popping them into her mouth as she typed up a report by dictation onto her computer screen. She could not believe her luck. Actually, she was still having a hard time believing she was lucky at all.

“November 4th. Mission successful. Special Public Security Unit, SPS 5 arrived on scene at 8.40 P.M. after a tip off by a civilian, Sakata Gintoki, citizen ID…9012938237.” She threw the empty peanut shells at her door as she dictated the report-writing. “On the pretense of purchasing the alien contraband, classified as Level 9 by the Inter-Galactic Drug Policy Consortium as controversially dangerous and ethically questionable, Mr. Sakata has successfully acquired, on the behalf of… ”

 _Knock! Knock!_ The door to her office resounded with knocks from the outside. A sandy-haired guy opened it.

“Oh, Sergeant Okita. What is it?” She continued to throw peanut shells in his direction, as he stood there. One of them bounced off his coat.

He looked around the floor. Peanut shells everywhere. Torn peanut skin, and dropped, dried-up peanuts, the ones she discarded deliberately. “He asked me to send you a message.”

Nobume continued to look bored. “Ah. ‘Thank you for saving me the embarrassment. I appreciate the warning prior to the Foreign Minister’s arrest’. I already received that through his emails.”

Okita Sougo smirked. “Who said it was a message from Hijikata?”

Nobume stopped throwing peanut shells, and put her feet down on the floor. She stared at him intently.

“Sakata Gintoki. Two messages.”

Nobume waved for him to enter. “Come in.”

Okita took a step forward and closed the door quietly behind him. “First message. He wants you to tell the Princess that a single plant has been reserved for her at the university laboratory under lock and key, as previously agreed in their terms of payment. Should she wish to continue her research on the drug, she’s free to do so. Although he had a feeling that by this time, she may choose not to go ahead with reviving Prince Shige Shige who had passed away last Fall. What happens to the plant, is up to her Imperial Highness to decide. He trusts she will make a wise decision.”

Nobume nodded. “Second message?”

“Second message. He wants you to get in touch with your former Inspector on his behalf. Actually, I think he wants to meet up with her.”

Nobume brought her hands to her mouth and laughed into it. When she had laughed her fill, she looked at Okita in the eye. “Why are you a little messenger boy for Sakata Gintoki? Is it because… you’re trying to date his…”

A boot immediately went slam on top of Nobume’s desk. “I’m a sergeant, and you’re the Chief Inspector. You can have me disciplined on the spot, I’m well aware of that.” Okita said glumly. “But please do not harass your subordinates. I really can’t take a joke.”

Nobume stood up from her seat. “Do you want to die, then?”

 

* * *

 

[Nobume]  
_Are you going to see him?_

[Tsukuyo]  
_Yes. To end things once and for all._

[Nobume] _  
I don’t think that’s his intention._

[Tsukuyo]  
_Sucks to be him._

She walked briskly and quickly to the place they first met. Outside the skyscraper building, where he was dragged out by Tama into the police car. A small fountain in the center of the flower park adjacent to it. A knot grew in her chest as throngs of people walk to and fro the street.

The flashbacks hit her in waves.

The first week he left, she was a walking zombie who showed up to work each day, stricter than usual to her subordinates, unfeeling. Concentration was a fly that skipped from wall to wall. She spent time looking at her phone, waiting for a message, and none came.

The fourth week he left, she withdrew into a shell, went through all the texts he had sent, his voice calls, the flowers he sent, pressed and laminated in her diary. She spent that week crying alone at night. She told no one. She blamed herself for falling for him too fast.

The twenty sixth week he left, she resigned and left the police force. She had refused to look at the cases they have solved together with his detective agency, refused to participate in any cases concerning him. She dropped the central case involving him the night he disappeared.

The thirty eighth week he left, someone told her that he had been spotted in Hokkaido, purchasing milk ice cream on a cold winter’s day and smiling like an idiot at a girl in green kimono who waved at him from a cake shop.

The sixty second week he left, she took the money she saved, got connected with people, and started up her security office. She put up a shop sign that read, { **NUTS BUST WATCHDOG SERVICES** } which Hinowa had told her could be misleading, but she didn’t care.

The eighty fourth week he left, she threw out everything of his. Changed her phone, got a new number.

From afar, she could see that familiar mob of silverish hair glinting in the sun.

Her phone rang as she walked up, answering it as she was stopping in front of him. “Shinsuke? Yes, I’ll be taking the eight o’clock train after meeting Gintoki. Yes, okay.”

She quickly hanged up, but he was already looking at her with a soured expression on his face. “Shinsuke? Takasugi Shinsuke? You’re going out with that guy?” He shook his head in disbelief.

Tsukuyo tried to keep her cool. “What of it?”

“So he knew about us, too? Did you finally give your body to a man? Did you do it with him?” He sounded as if he were mocking her.

A flash of anger appeared in her amethyst eyes. “You don’t own me,” she said angrily. “Never have. It’s none of your business who I give my body to. Who are you to question me?”

He took a big stride towards her, grabbed her and took her body in his strong arms. “I’m sorry. Tsukuyo, listen to me. Please.”

She was furious, and beyond consolable. She didn’t want to listen to whatever he had to say. Who is this person, to leave her behind, and then to waltz back into her life whenever he wants, to demand that she look at him again? She vigorously shook herself free from his embrace, and pushed him away.

“No! I don’t want to listen.” Tears slowly came to her eyes. She quickly tried to blink them away.

She turned her back to him, arms crossed. She sniffed softly.

Silence.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop lying. You aren’t sorry at all.” She knew he wasn’t. If he were, he would have contacted her. But not once. Not once in those two years. He had not once explained anything to her. It was as if they did not have a relationship. He was all over Japan, and flirted with random street girls when she was worried sick for him back in Tokyo. She was a fool. But not anymore.

“You can’t tell me how to feel, Tsukuyo.”

 _No. No, this wasn’t what you’re here to listen to. It’s all garbage!_ She was determined not to listen to him.

“You ran away. You gave up on me. On us. You didn’t have to, but you did.”

“I wasn’t able to forget you.”

“I gave up on you, just like you asked me to.” There. She said it. That one line that pissed her off the most.

“My feelings for you are not a lie,” he started to say.

She inhaled loudly, agitated by that confession. “Maybe mine for you was.”

She realised it was cruel to say that to him, and she knew it _was_ a lie. But she didn’t care, for she had had enough.

“Goodbye, Gintoki.” With that, she walked away from him, high heels making clicking sounds on the concrete pavement as she went. She’s leaving him behind, in her past. She’s walking to the future. Shinsuke’s face, his smile, his touch, filled her heart and mind.

“You’re a liar!” Gintoki yelled after her.

She didn’t turn back. And she didn’t cry.

 

* * *

Shinsuke took his leave thirty minutes before closing time, told Bansai and Matako he was leaving early that night. It was a mere three minutes walk to the station, so he put on his coat and waited for Tsukuyo to arrive at the station’s exit around thirty past nine.

Matako was all around unhappy, but bravely tried to put on a strong front. She did not whine. She did not beg for Shinsuke to stay. Bansai wondered if it had anything to do with his conversation with her a few weeks ago. She had accepted his invitation to the Bacc Number concert, the one that he spent a whole afternoon queueing for tickets. Unable to lie to her that Shinsuke was the one who gave him the tickets, she immediately asked Bansai why couldn’t he buy three tickets instead of two, so Shinsuke could come along, too. After the show had ended the previous night, he had brought her ice cream, and they had sat on the bench outside the shop, talking about nothing at all. It was a lie. They were talking about Shinsuke.

“Senpai,” Matako had said to Bansai then, “I think the most important thing for me, is to see Shinsuke-sama happy.”

Bansai didn’t reply. Instead, he waited for her to go on. He knew, she had more to say.

“If he’s happy, then I’m happy, too.”

“Even if he doesn’t choose you?”

There was a pause.

“Even if he doesn’t choose me.”

Back at the shop, after Shinsuke had left for the night that day, Bansai didn’t know what had made Matako have a slight change of heart. But he knew that soon things would have to come to a resolution for all of them.

 _That Shinsuke,_ Bansai thought moodily to himself as he locked up the shop thirty minutes later. _He’s definitely doing her right now._

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

  


_We were unseparated day and night,_

_so long that two wet bodies would melt_

 

_From the bottom of my stomach_

_I cried out your name and then something sprung out_

_Is it my soul?_

_My empty body plods wearily on frolic streets_

_I don't need anything, throw them all away_

_My soul is wandering to search for you_

 

_Stop the time, shut it out,_

_I can’t suppress myself_

_I’ll give you all of me_

 

 

 

Shinsuke leaned into Tsukuyo, kissing her neck, her shoulder, her collar bone. His hand slid under her sweater and roamed greedily, fingers tugging at the upper cup of her bra, and in doing so, his finger brushed against her nipple. She let out a small moan.

“That’s a sexy voice you have there,” he said softly, his teeth gently scraping against her skin. “I remember your sexy voice the first time I heard you on the phone.”

She whimpered from his touch, and looked at him, her eyes a little wet. “Shinsuke… you’re a bully.”

“I want you.” He said breathily, unhooking her skirt and pulling it down, exposing her long, white milky legs. He threw the skirt over the bed impatiently. His yearning for her increased.

His hands went directly over both her smooth thighs as he leaned down towards her and pressed his mouth onto her red, juicy lips. They tasted like bitter raspberries. He devoured her hungrily, flicking his tongue into her mouth, tasting her tongue with his own, writhing and sweeping her in a trance, the appetite in his chest growing. Their kissing now intensified, he moved his hands under her sweater, now fondling her breasts with both hands.

She moaned as he did so, and struggled to speak over his sensual kisses on her mouth. “Shinsuke, please…”

He stopped everything he was doing all at once. She was panting, tears were welling up in her eyes.

“Is that a ‘yes, please,’ or a ‘stop, please’?” He asked, a little worriedly.

The words were stuck in her throat. Her heart was thumping. “Please… make me yours.” she begged in a small voice.

Receiving the green light, he immediately lifted his body away from the mattress and straightened his posture. Knees on the bed, he took off his shirt, exposing a hard chest and hardened nipples. He realised that his nipples weren’t the only things growing harder by the second. He felt his cock gradually throbbing and aching for her, getting more swollen, bigger. He wanted to make hot, passionate love to her.

She put both her hands on his chest, and glided them down his well-defined muscles, her gaze trailing his hard, hard abs. He took her hands, and kissed them softly, up her arms. As eager and impatient as he was, his actions were not too hurried. Slowly, he reached down and pulled her sweater up and up, and finally above her head, removing it completely. He pushed it off onto the floor.

Her large, round, full breasts, barely supported by a pair of white lacey bra, were exposed in front of him. They were smooth, firm, supple, and beckoning. Tsukuyo’s first instinct was to quickly cross her arms over them, embarrassed. Shinsuke gently pulled her arms away. “Don’t hide them. I want to see.”

He slid his hands underneath her back and unhooked the bra. Throwing it over his shoulders, he dove head first into one breast and started sucking. “Aahh,” she squealed, her head arching to the back.

He cupped his hand over the other breast, massaging it, groping it, and teasing her nipple with his thumb and finger. “You’re beautiful, Tsukuyo,” he said in between sucking. “You’re so beautiful, and so soft.”

He wanted her. He wanted all of her.

Her whole body was trembling with excitement from his touch. She wanted more. The aching she felt between her legs was intensifying, her lust for him growing. She moved her hands to the back of his neck, running her fingers up his nape into his soft, purple hair as he kissed all over her breasts, steadily moving his kisses down her stomach. Her slender fingers grasped small fistfuls of his hair, pushing his head onto her body as she groaned.

Stopping his kisses momentarily, he moved his hand down to check the depth hidden deep between her inner thighs. His finger found her middle palace. Her panties were already wet. “You’re almost ready for me.”

The sticky moisture he felt on his fingers excited him, and increased his desire for her.

His inner beast was fighting to escape.

“Gotta make sure you’re completely ready,” he said, a naughty smile curled up the corner of his lips. With both hands, he pulled down that last piece of small, white fabric from her lower body, caressing her long, silky legs as he went. He spread her legs, and started pushing his tongue softly against her clit, forcing her private lips down there open, kissing and taking in her sweetness in his mouth.

“Aahhh, Shinsuke~~!”

She trembled, grabbing his hair by her fingers. He licked harder. She moaned in the most adorable way.

Struggling to keep herself from shaking from his touch, she released her hands from grasping his hair. She spread open her arms, her fingers tugging at the sheets on the bed as he continued to bury himself in her pussy. Spasms of pleasure coursed through her waist onto her chest as he licked, gently sucked and kissed her down there. The faint stubbles on his chin brushed against her sensitive area, and her head is flashing with bright lights. She couldn’t stand the teasings anymore.

“Shinsuke… please. Hurry.”

He looked up at he. She had a needy, wanting look on her face. It was blushing red and pleading for his bulging cock. He reached out a hand towards the night drawer.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“Condom…” _Shit… does it have an expiry date? Where did I get this from again?_

She grabbed his hand. “Today is ‘safe’ day.”

He repositioned himself and pulled down his underwear. Tsukuyo reached out her hand towards his cock as it sprung out, long and hard, and ripe for action.

“Did it become like this because of me?” She giggled, touching the tip with her fingers, caressing it. He groaned, her touch was making him feel so good.

Suddenly, she sat up and started to bend down towards his cock, her mouth open, ready to take his rod in. But he stopped her, pushed her back onto the bed and attacked her with a deep, wet kiss. She responded by kissing back, pulling his body towards her.

“I want your mouth to retain _your_ sweet taste,” he told her.

“Ah, I’ve never done that before, so I want…”

He kissed her on the lips again, this time softly. For some reason, he didn’t want her to do it.

“Next time…then,” she said as their lips parted, wet with the heat of each other’s mouths.

“Already thinking about next time?”

She blushed profusely.

“Shinsuke, I want you inside me.” She said timidly. Her hand was cupped shyly between her legs. “Here.”

He smiled at her playfully. “Beg me.”

“Please,” she whimpered. “I feel sooo hot…”

He moved nearer to her, and slowly, coaxed her legs to open wider, so that his cock was now at the full frontal entrance of her wetness. It was now pinkish red, wet and glistening, and more than ready for him. Hearing her say she wanted him sent him into a fit of excitement inside. He wanted to enter her, to possess all of her. He gave her another kiss, and then slowly, he separated his mouth from her. Lifting his body up, and holding his cock, he gently pushed himself into her. She grimaced, brows knitted together.

She moaned. “Nngh.”

“Are you okay, Tsukuyo?”

She smiled. “I’m okay. I’m so… happy. This is… my first time.”

“It’s my first time, too… I’m sorry if I lack technique.”

She laughed. “You’re a liar.”

“I’m not. You’re the first woman I’ve ever loved, the first I’ve ever held in my arms.” He didn’t know why, but tears were welling up in his eye.

Gazing at him, her heart softening and heartbeat racing, she wiped his tears away with her thumb. She was happy to know that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. “I want all of you, Shinsuke.”

“Me too.”

When he had gone in all the way, he stopped, awkward and unsure. She tugged at his arms gently with both hands. Her moans were too cute. “Shinsuke…I want…”

“I’m already giving it to you, woman.”

So he started moving his hips. Gently at first.

“Ahhh!” she cried out, as the first plunge pierced into her.

“Ugh,” he let out a groan as he worked his hips and thighs, adjusting her legs as they rest upon his shoulders. _Thrust._

“Ahhh!” Her thighs rubbed against his arms.

 _Thrust, thrust, thrust._ Her large breasts bobbed up and down from the inertia of each thrust, and the sight of them bouncing sent him into wild ecstasy.

“Aaahhh!” Her breasts bounced and bounced, as her body rocked the bed. He cupped a hand over one breast, and squeezed. Then he bent over and brushed her hair fringe to the side, kissing her softly on the forehead. _I love you._

“Touch me more, Shinsuke.”

“I don't have enough hands.” He chuckled. His thrusting pace quickened. He pushed her legs down, and she immediately wrapped them around his waist.

“Ahhh!” she moaned loudly.

“Call my name.” _Thrust, thrust, thrust._

“….Shinsuke~~”

“Call my name again.” _Thrust, thrust, thrust, thrust, thrust._

“Shinsuke…!! Ahhh!! I feel so good!!” Tears were forming at the corner of her eyes. She placed her hands on her own tits, and started squeezing them. “Shinsuke..”

He pushed her hands away, bent down towards her breasts once more, and sucked on the nipple loudly. “You like this, right?”

She moaned.

He moved his hips rapidly, his breathing and panting increased. “Cry louder. I want to hear your sweet voice.”

“Aaahhhh!” 

“You’re…. squeezing me so tight, Tsukuyo, nggh.”

He grunted, and keeping the rhythm steady, continued to drive his cock in and out of her, again and again. His cock was burning from the heat, from the wet, velvety friction inside of her.

“You’re the one who’s getting so big inside me, Shinsuke…ahhh! Aahhh!”

He placed both his hands on her slender waist, and pulled her in towards him, thrusting harder than ever, this time making her body arched to the back.

“Ahhh! Shinsuke!” Her body was heating up so badly, she felt her mind going blank from pleasure.

“Are you ready to come?” He asked, keeping his thrusts constant. He was already ready to spill.

“Nngh, ngghh, moooore~~” Her voice was small, shy, but urgent, and needy. In bed, she was a completely different person from her usual stern and prude self. Shinsuke found this incredibly adorable about her.

Working his hips harder than ever, he grinded himself into her, and leaned down to kiss her deeply. _Thrust, thrust, thrust, thrust, thrust._

And so it went on, him ramming into her over and over. The room was filled with the melodious sounds of their intense love-making. His grunts, her moans, of skin slapping against skin, as they merged with each other. Just when he felt like he couldn’t hold it in anymore, she spoke.

“Shinsuke, I’m coming~~!!”

And the stars went off in his head as he finally released inside of her, his hot liquid pouring into her.

“Aaahh!!” she gave a final cry as they both reached their climax. Tears fell from the corner of her eyes as she reached out, panting, to pull him down onto her. “I love you, Shinsuke…” she whispered, her lips edging to kiss him.

Kissing back, he moved his hand from her waist and linked his fingers with hers. They were both panting heavily. He dropped down on top of her. “I love you, Tsukuyo. Please don’t leave me.”

Sliding his other hand under her back, he turned their bodies around, brought her up to his chest, as if afraid that she would disappear right that moment. He hugged her close, hugged her tight. The heat from their body meshed into each other, her breasts pressing onto him. They could hear each other’s heartbeats, feel each other’s breaths.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she replied.

Then she climbed on top of him. “Tsukuyo?”

“Shinsuke, I want it again.”

“You’re begging a lot tonight, woman.”

She ignored him and pulled him up to a sitting position, then cupped his face with her hands as she lowered her lips onto his for a kiss. He took it all in in one breath, hungrily exploring her mouth. When they separated, both of them were panting, breathless. She brought his hands to her breasts. “Aahh. Touch me again.”

The look on her face was of pure ecstasy.

He massaged slowly. Her soft, pinkish, silky tits slid around in his palms.

“Caress me more.” She placed both her hands on his broad shoulders, and blew a playful puff of air into the hair covering his closed eye as he continued to play with her breasts. He leaned in to lick a hardened nipple, making her moan once more.

She slid her hand down, picked up his cock, and started rubbing it up and down his shaft. “Nngh.” He grunted. “Wait. I’m going to—”

“It’s so… hard.” She smiled at him, winking. Then she kissed him on the nose.

“You want to do it like this?” He asked her.

Both of them now were sitting, him on the bed. She was wide open, on his lap. She now let his cock fall against her cool, flat stomach, then carefully moved her hips around on his lap, letting his swollen rod rub against her skin and the surface of her mon pubis. He was starting to go crazy again.

“How could a virgin maiden like you be this good?”

She cupped his face in her hands again and kissed him softly, again and again. “How could a virgin boy please me this much?”

“Ecchi anime?” he answered in a low voice through her kisses.

She stopped, and pulled his cheeks, pinching as if they were elastic. “Ouch!” He cried out.

“H-how could you say that, Shinsuke! You’re really a pervert!”

“What did you expect?”

“I don’t know!”

“AV films?”

“I hate you.” She started to get off from his lap.

He pulled her back down. “Don’t say you hate me, I will be heartbroken.” He wrapped her in a tight embrace, and went in for her neck, sucking her skin. She squealed. Wrapping his muscular arms around her waist tighter, he hungrily ravished her. “You can’t run away.”

She let his hands roamed all over her once more.

“I want to fuck you all night.” He whispered into her ear.

She blushed when his cock was rubbing the sensitive area between her legs again. He smiled as soon as he saw her ears turned red.

“You silly virgin,” he chastised her.

“Thanks to you, I’m not a virgin anymore, idiot.”

“I’m so lucky. Thank you.”

She leaned in to kiss him again, slender hands now moving up and down his chest. She wanted to hear him groan with pleasure, too. Sliding herself down his chest, she licked his nipples. His cock was hardening once more.

“You really drive me wild, Tsukuyo.” Grabbing her by the waist, in the sitting position they were in, he immediately slid his cock into her once more.

“Aahhh!” She squirmed at the sudden penetration.

He felt his skin being tightened by the firm, warm walls inside her. “You’re squeezing me so tightly again.” This time, he started moving as soon as it went in all the way. _Thrust. Thrust. Again._

“You’re so big.” She said breathily, closing her eyes as he moved them back and forth. “And stop talking, idiot,” she commanded. Her body twisted and writhed on top of him, her arms around his neck, her bouncing tits rubbing against his neck.

His breath, his wet lips on her skin aroused her greatly. Her heart aches with love for him as she caressed his handsome face. Strong, chiseled jaw, his sharp nose, his steely green eye.

“I just found out that I don’t enjoy quiet sex,” he replied, groping her buttocks aggressively and hoisting her up, pushing her soft pussy against his groin, hard. This time he’s going to do it faster, harder.

“Aaahhhh!” She cried, spasm shooting from her belly as she felt his cock hitting the sweet spot inside her.

“Louder!” He commanded.

“You’re a meanie!”

He grunted, gripping her buttocks tightly. _Thrust, thrust, thrust._

“Aaaahhhh!!!” She cried loudly, arching her back, sticking out her pair of delicious breasts even more.

With each thrust, she became wetter, hotter, more slippery. This round, her moans were more erotic, more high-pitched. She was also shaking a lot more, panting harder. Without warning, she lowered her head and sucked him on the neck, hard. He groaned, and trembled from his shoulders down to the small in his back from her sucking.

She pushed up against his hard, glistening breast muscles, and deliberately rubbed her breasts against them as he held her tight, their groins grinding against each other. “Suck me hard, Shinsuke.” She pleaded. “Penetrate me, please. Harder.”

“I’m already multi-tasking here,” he replied, panting.

She made a sweet, sulking, whiny sound, enveloping her slender arms around his shoulders. “Shinsuke, Shinsuke…”

“You’re mine, Tsukuyo. You can’t show this pleading face or this naked body to anyone.”

“Idiot… as if I will. You’re an idiot!”

Nuzzling his face into her neck, and pressing his chest against her bouncing breasts, he realised that this could be her most favourite fuck position, yet. He chuckled loudly as he rammed harder into her. Taking on her nipple again, he sucked, his tongue playing around the areola.

“Aaaahh, Shinsuke….!!”

He growled softly with each movement. He was at his limit.

“Aaaahhh! Yes, Shinsuke.....harder, give me more. Aaaah!!!”

That night, their bodies merged together again and again. Like powerful anacondas, their limbs writhed and slithered all over each other; the light of the moon coming in from the window blinds casting a sheen of sweat glistening on their skin.

 

* * *

 

 


	8. Love Is Based On Unpredictable Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter. The end of everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and I apologise for a sucky ride. LOL

It’s true when they say that the morning after _the act_ , everything always seems brighter. All is right with the world; the weather is cool and sunny, the birds are chirping, the fish in the oceans are swimming, and every single planet in the solar system are aligned perfectly in a single straight line. Although, he had read somewhere that that kind of thing doesn’t happen at all — and even when they _do_ happen — about once every 500 years — the closest the planets could get in a straight line are still within 30 degrees of one another. But did he care about the facts? No. What he cared about was that he and Tsukuyo had fucked. That’s a _fact_. 

So when he, Takasugi Shinsuke, got dressed for work that morning, Tsukuyo was still sleeping soundly in bed. He took quiet steps towards the bed to watch her, her long eyelashes resting on her smooth, fair skin. Memories of their love-making last night flooded his mind and he started getting red behind his ears. As he bent down to kiss her on the cheek, he heard it: her low, steady, light snoring. Gazing at her lovingly and unwilling to leave her side, he finally brought the comforters over her shoulders and chin. After lowering the blinds so that the sun wouldn’t disturb her until much later, he quietly left the room.

 

* * *

 

It was half past ten at the **Botanist Botanical Botan**. Matako was busy with getting the red bean pastries ready that morning, Bansai was watering the succulents in the shop, and Shinsuke was standing by the shop entrance, checking his phone and looking up at the street periodically, as if expecting someone to come by any moment.

 

[Shinsuke]  
_Where are you_

[Kamui]  
_Almost there_

[Kamui]  
_I’m bringing three pots in_

[Shinsuke]  
_You coming alone?_

[Kamui]  
_With Kagura_

[Shinsuke]  
_Anyone else?_

[Kamui]  
_No_

They had decided that Kamui would keep three pots of the SOL402A at his spaceship nursery, while the other three would be placed directly inside the tea shop, among all the other plants and succulents. Nobody would be the wiser, since no one else had ever seen the plant, they would never think to look in a tea shop like this.

Out of the twelve tables in the shop, only two were occupied that morning. Kamui, in a rare display of brotherly love, had brought his younger sister, Kagura in tow, her arm linked with his as they walked in, towing a small trolley behind them. Shinsuke took over the trolley, and nonchalantly pushed it into the shop, setting the pots behind the cashier counter, where the tins of tea leaves were stored. 

“Hey, baldies!” Kagura said cheerfully, taking her arm off Kamui and settling down into the chair. “Menu please! I’m so hungry!”

Kamui slid into the chair next to her. “That’s rude. Say something like, ‘one-eyed baldy,’ or ‘spiky-haired baldy’, or something.” His eyes disappeared into two concave lines behind his growing grin.

“Ooohh! Hey, one-eyed virgin baldy!” Kagura raised her hand into the hair.

Kamui slapped her on the head. “Don’t say such vulgar things. You’re a little kid.”

“Ouch!” She rubbed the back of her head. “I’m nineteen years old, stupid!” She smacked Kamui’s head onto the table, where his forehead smashed onto the wooden surface.

“Lavender tea, please!” She yelled towards the counter. “And a plate of cheese gyoza! Hey, they look so posh on the picture! You’d better don’t lie about the presentation saying it’s for illustrative purposes or some crap —” The menu was yanked out of her hands.

“Lavender tea is for old ladies.” Kamui scoffed. “Pu Er, please!”

“What did you say?! Pu Er is tea for old men!”

“It’s for _young_ men.”

“It’s for dumb old men like you and virgin baldy.”

As they continued to argue, Bansai brought them their preferred tea on a tray, his face expressionless. His mouth moved as he served the teacups on the table, but as they were arguing loudly, his words were inaudible to them.

“What?” Kamui asked, when he noted the flicker of annoyance in the curl of Bansai’s lips.

“I said, he’s not a virgin anymore!” Bansai replied. A little too loudly.

Every chatter in the shop disappeared as silence rang loudly in the air.

 _Why does this always happen?_ Bansai rolled his eyes wearily. _Someone shouts, and the whole atmosphere lingers like a corpse dangling from a ceiling. Why, why, why._

But Shinsuke was not listening to what Bansai had screamed. He was busy texting his lover.

 

[Tsukuyo]  
_Good morning, Shinsuke_ ♡♡♡♡ (´,,•ω•,,) ♡♡♡♡

 

[Shinsuke]  
_Good morning_ ♡  
_You’re finally awake_ ♡  
_Did you eat the breakfast I prepared?_ ♡

 

[Tsukuyo]  
_Yes_ (＾▽＾)  
_It was delicious, thank you_ ♡♡

[Shinsuke]  
_I’ll pick you up for lunch_ ♡

[Tsukuyo]  
_But not as delicious as you_ (＾▽＾) ♡♡  
_I miss you already_

Her texts squeezed his heart tight. He knew it then. That there was no other woman for him but her. There was never a doubt in his mind when he decided to make love to her last night.

“Sorry, Bansai. Help me to take care of the shop.” Shinsuke had barely finished the end of his sentence when he turned the knob on the door and sprinted out of the shop.

Kamui watched him leave, his fingers hooked around the ear of his teacup . His other hand was engaged in a chopstick war with Kagura over the last piece of gyoza on the plate, with Kagura accusing him of being a cheapskate and a food thief. 

Bansai stared at the door, slowly swiveling shut, table cloth in hand, surprised at Shinsuke’s confession. _Calm, collected, Shinsuke. Going crazy because of a woman,_ he thought. _No, he had always been emotional. Raw, honest._ _He had always been like that._

A clang was heard from the other end of the shop. Bansai turned around. There, Matako stood in front of the open kitchen space, her expression falling. A metal tray, a broken mug and spilled tea lay sprawled on the floor.

Bansai’s reaction was immediate. He threw the tablecloth onto the counter, strode over Matako, took her wrist and walked her out of the shop. “Sorry, Kamui. Please look at this for awhile.”

Kamui made a face. “I’m not going to be your damn cashier –”

But Bansai and Matako were already out the door. “Why the hell are they all like this in this stupid tea shop?” Kamui cried aloud. One customer looked up and stared at him. “Oh well.” Kamui sighed.

 

* * *

 

Matako didn’t say a word as Bansai led her by the hand, going in the opposite direction where Shinsuke ran. They walked and walked, she didn’t know where, but didn’t care to ask either. _Senpai always looks after me. Senpai has always been there for me,_ was what she thought _._ So she trusted him and let him take her away from that unbearable shop. For now. It was already late afternoon, and the sky was teaming with reddish, orange hues.

They continued to go up and up the hill, where simple concrete pavement blocks gave way to rough asphalt – and they walked and walked until rough asphalt gave way to brown earth and green grass. When the final red rays of the sun dimmed over the horizon and Nagoya city came into view, he gently let go of her hand.

He gazed into the distance, feeling the cool wind on his skin. She was breathing hard from the long walk. She was exhilarated, but no longer as sad. The brief exercise took the breath out of her. It was cold, but she felt warm. It was then that the entire city landscape lit up with thousands and thousands of tiny lights.

“I’m sorry.”

She glanced at him. “Eh?”

“I’m sorry,” he said again. He turned to her. “It’s my fault that you’re sad.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is. I asked him to give you this job. I asked him to help you out.”

“You were just –”

“I asked him not to be cruel to you,” he went on, determined not to be interrupted. “I asked him to find you a place to stay. I asked him to lie to you until he got sick of lying. I asked him for all the things I didn’t do for you _myself_. It’s my fault that you fell in love with him. It’s my fault that you are hurt now.”

He stopped. Then continued. “It’s my fault, because I’m a coward.”

Hot tears sprung to her eyes. She swallowed, and tried to blink them away, to no avail. Fat, round, drops of salty tears rolled down her cheeks. Her sobbing grew.

Bansai edged closer to her tentatively, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She let herself fall onto him, her forehead against his chest. And he let her do just that, like so many times before.

“I know,” she said softly at first. Then louder. “I know already, senpai. You idiot.”

No longer able to control her emotions, Matako let the walls inside her crumble. Into Bansai’s chest, she finally cried and wailed loudly. For the first time in a long while, he took off his sunglasses. And planted a small kiss on top of her head, in her hair.

  

* * *

  _In the distance of the purple sky, Venus shines brightly_  
 _The sun squeezes out its last ray of light_  
  
 _Without saying a thing, the landscape passes by,_  
 _fading into the distance_  
  
 _No matter how lonely the lights of this trembling city may seem,_  
 _my heart will never tremble, because you are waiting for me_  
 _I'll be home soon_

 

 

The chilly December wind enveloped Shinsuke’s face, and neck, but he didn’t care. His quick strides had broken into a run. He needed to get to her. As he ran, he tripped over his own feet with impatience, then corrected his balance before continuing his run. He laughed at himself, his foolishness and his own feelings. But he was sure, that he needed her. _Who would have thought that I would want to marry someone? She had given me so much. I need to reciprocate it._

All kinds of thoughts flashed through his mind as he ran down the rows of shops at the promenade.

“I need a proposal bouquet,” he told the florist boy when he dashed through the door, panting and out of breath. “A really pretty one. I’ll come back in thirty minutes. Please prepare one for me by then!”

As soon as he came, he left, leaving the florist boy in shock.

“Sir, what kind of flowers and colours –” the boy florist yelled, but Shinsuke was already gone.

About ten seconds went by. Shinsuke re-appeared at the door, still out of breath. “Purples. And whites. They match her eyes.” He grinned.

 

* * *

 

He stepped into a jewellery shop and ran his eyes through the glass counters hurriedly. A male store assistant came by and smiled at him. “Can I help you, sir?”

“I need,” he said, putting both hands on the glass counter. “A proposal ring.”

“Ah. You mean an engagement ring, sir.”

“I don’t care about semantics.”

“I apologise for my rudeness. We do have a number of rings here that will suit your purpose.” The assistant smiled brightly, and slipped a hand under the glass counter and pulled out a tray of silver rings cushioned upright in their padded velvet inserts.

As soon as the tray was in front of him, he saw the one he wanted. A silver ring of a small butterfly with folded wings, and a gleaming diamond embedded in its center.

“This one.” He smiled confidently. “And I think her ring size is…”

 

* * *

 

When he reached the front door of his own home, with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and the jeweller’s box containing the ring in his pocket, he realised he was nervous. His hands were shaking. He started to think what if she rejected him. They hadn’t gone out for too long. _But we already did that. So…_  

Anticipating her reaction, he opened the door to his house. He came face to face with her at the _genkan_. She was already dressed, one finger tucking into her shoe, and just getting ready to go out.

“Tsukuyo.”

“Shinsuke!” When she saw the flowers, her eyes widened in surprise. “What—what are you doing?”

He gazed at her earnestly. “I…” He pulled out the small box and pushed the lid open with one finger. “Would you walk by my side for the rest of my life?”

“Shinsuke…”

“We don’t have eternity. There’s no immortality drug. I don’t want to live forever. I want to at least be able to live longer than you, so I can take care of you until the very end. Will you… marry me?”

“It’s so sudden…” She was too astonished to say anything, but Shinsuke continued to talk.

“I want to be the first person you see next to you when you wake up. I want to be the last person you see when you go to bed. I want to be the first person to be notified if anything happens to you –”

“I’d be happy to be with you—” She felt her vision blurring, a tear falling as she blinked. She accepted the flowers and small jeweller box with a smile on her face.

It was then he lifted her off the floor with ease into his arms, so that she’d cling to his neck and shoulders, like a new bride.

“Shinsuke, I’m heavy!” 

“You’re not heavy. You were going all up and down on top of me many times last night and—”

“Shinsuke!!” Her face and ears immediately flushed a deep red.

“You’re not heavy, Tsukuyo.” he repeated. “And no matter how heavy you get,” he leaned in to kiss her forehead, “I promise I will carry you for the rest of my life.”

  

 

 

END 


End file.
